ChemProX, Unmanned Ground and Air Vehicles Use

We live in a world where technology is constantly changing.

While good intentions are usually the foundation for development, abuse and use for terror and harm usually follows. Therefore, it is essential to understand that even though means and methods for CBRN protection are constantly improving, so do the means for terror and mass destruction.

What plays the key role in successful counter-measures for CBRN threats is understanding what the scope of the threat scenario can be, and how quickly things may evolve.

Speed is a particularly major factor when a CBRN incident occurs: in order to gain control of the situation, first responders need to act swiftly to establish proper ground for isolation and counter-measures. And this requires a clear understanding of the bigger picture: what is really going on how will things develop — or at least, what is to be expected, and how it can be monitored.

Throughout the last decades, individual sensors and detection technologies have improved. In fact, from a performance perspective perhaps to an optimized level.

Naturally, development is a constant process but when talking about IMS for example, not much change in the detection performance has occurred during the last decade.

As in the technologic field in general, nowadays user experience and the fact that devices are easy and simple to use, assumed a huge role and chemical detection technology is no exception. Perhaps even in the CBRN field in the nearby future we will see more improvements in the usability and simplicity of the solutions, rather than fully focusing on making the actual detection performance better.

Naturally, with ChemProX, we already have and intend to keep improving the detection capability and reliability of the detector.

However, now we have also taken huge steps in user experience and scalability of the detector.

Having all built-in, from interface software to wireless connections and guidelines, it is our intention to make ChemProX adapt to changing atmospheres and situations quickly — a natural phenomenon in first responder use.

The ability of having all necessary features in one light package makes ChemProX extremely flexible for different types of use.

Since no additional hardware for powering or networking is required, mounting ChemProX to an unmanned vehicle and opening the monitoring interface from a device with an access to a web browser, can be done within minutes – thus making ChemProX extremely quickly deployable.

Not only is this beneficial when transitioning from handheld use to a drone or robot mounted use, but also vice versa: since there is essentially no integration involved, ChemProX can be removed from an UAV or UGV in seconds and the operator can carry on using ChemProX as a handheld detector, again making ChemProX extremely adaptable to different situations.

How I personally see the future of chemical detectors and different sensors in general, is that these devices will be an integral part of Internet of Things (IoT). Essentially this means that eventually we will have a wide range of devices that can be integrated to a scalable detection network while transmitting data seamlessly between each other. ChemProX with its intuitive user interface and easiness of use, is a “precursor” as well as a relevant part of future’s detection capability.

Download the Application Note and gain access to exclusive content on our Unmanned Chemical Reconnaissance Solution, such as the components of ChemProX Deployment Kit.