D5.1 - Radiation degradation modelling

It is essential for robotic sensors and cameras to be reliable in the information they transmit from environments affected by radiation. It is also important for human operators to know when a sensor is failing, and how to compensate for degradation when it happens.

For this project, the Essex team tested a range of highly available sensors. They measured and modelled the effects of radiation on sensors and systems for neutron and gamma radiation. Radiation effects were measured and modelled for:

• Robots and off-the-shelf sensors (e.g. cameras)
• Novel sensor technologies
• General purpose embedded systems
• Robot and sensor communications
• Specialised system-on-chip units

In addition, the team built machine-learning models to predict how long a sensor/robot/processor would last. They also identified the critical point for system failure. Their noise/degradation models can be fed to high-level perception algorithms.