Radiation detectors monitor Japanese reactors

Engineers at Libelium, a firm based in Spain, have developed a network of radiation detectors that are being deployed around Japan’s troubled nuclear reactors. Dozens of the battery-powered devices will sit atop streetlights, along with relatively small solar panels that will recharge the batteries and give the devices an unlimited life. Each unit will detect radiation levels and wirelessly transmit that information, along with its latitude and longitude, to a central location over ZigBee radio for analysis. Once the network is up and running, technicians can easily add more detectors if needed.

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