Hazardous nuclear events have the potential to cause huge levels of widespread damage to individuals and the environment. Getting close enough to these incidents to accurately assess the problem can be extremely dangerous. Following the incident at the Fukushima power plant in Japan in 2011, for example, helicopter pilots assessing the site were exposed to significant amounts of radiation.

Dr James MacFarlane and colleagues have developed an innovative system to safely and remotely assess radiological hazards across the nuclear industry, providing real-time information on the source, intensity and location of radiation. Dr MacFarlane was today announced as the joint winner of this year’s ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs Award and will receive a £15,000 development fund for the system, along with a £5,000 personal award and mentoring from renowned engineers Professor Richard Brook FREng and Professor Eric Yeatman FREng.

Read more at University of Bristol news.