Radiation Avoidance of a UGV Using Radiation Aware Costmaps at Lancaster University Neutron Laboratory

Two files representing the paths taken by a Clearpath UGV, when radiation avoidance is enabled or disabled (labelled respectively).<br>Data was collected at the Lancaster University Neutron Laboratory, with the robot exposed to a Cf-252 neutron source, producing gamma emission as a consequence. The robot was equipped with a CeBr₃ detector and mixed field analyser, able to perform integrated gamma dosimetry between energies 300 keV - 2500 keV, reporting dose rate in counts/second at a rate of 1 Hz via ROS.<br><br>A map (.pgm) and associated metadata (.yaml) files are provided, generated by the robot using SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping). The source enclosure can be seen as a square "missing" from the map, with the radiation source itself exposed to the left (positive x) edge of the tank. The thinner passageway is therefore containing a mixed neutron/gamma radiation field.<br><br>The robot was first manually piloted around the laboratory to produce a known radiation map, before being piloted to a position near the radiation source. The robot was then instructed to navigate to a goal position, in which the shortest path would pass the radiation source. When radiation avoidance is enabled, the robot endeavours to take the longer yet lower exposure path around the opposite side of the source enclosure.<br><br>The robot therefore receives a lower accumulated dose (near background rates) when radiation avoidance is enabled.