The meeting consolidates the integration of open hardware technologies into the Openred platform, facilitating the measurement of gamma radiation and light pollution.
The participating community collaborated in practical workshops and field measurements around Matadero-Medialab.
The TTN-Madrid working group and the Openred project have successfully completed their joint working session. This technical and collaborative meeting has consolidated the progress achieved in environmental monitoring and outlined new pathways for cooperation within the field of citizen science.
During the conference, the TTN-Madrid working group presented an innovative technological solution based on ESP321 microcontrollers, which allows gamma radiation values to be sent in real time to the Openred platform. The viability of the system was demonstrated through a live simulation connecting the devices to the Openred platform via TTN’s (The Things Network) LoRaWAN IoT network2.
The technological solution of the conference
One of the central axes of the session was the analysis of the prototype’s technical architecture. With the aim of guaranteeing stability in data acquisition, communication between the radiation detector and the controller was resolved through a physical USB connection. This design decision provides high robustness to the system and minimizes electromagnetic interference associated with Bluetooth wireless connectivity.
For efficient management of data flow, the ecosystem integrates a second M5Stack3 microcontroller, in charge of data storage and uploading. Communication between both components is carried out efficiently via SPI serial4 connection. This configuration shapes up to be a highly useful solution for the deployment of fixed or stationary networks, also offering great flexibility for the future addition of new sensors.
Field tests and active participation
The session continued with a practical measurement workshop in which attendees could learn firsthand how validated Openred devices measure radiation and actively participated in a phase of real measurements around Matadero-Medialab.
Through the Openred mobile application, the working team transmitted their impressions about the implemented system and opened a technical debate between participants and Openred staff. Among the improvement proposals oriented to the operation of the Openred API, the idea of registering measurements as individual points instead of a continuous track stood out, an adjustment that will increase spatial precision in radiation mapping.
Beyond radiation: Monitoring light pollution
The meeting also served to expand the platform’s horizons. The viability of integrating light pollution indicators into the Openred platform was demonstrated through the use of validated lux meters. This addition widens the spectrum of physical and environmental variables that citizens can monitor in an open, rigorous, and accessible way.
The balance of the session has been highly positive. In addition to making visible the technological development that TTN-Madrid has linked to the Openred project, this meeting establishes the roadmap for future collaborations between both scientific communities, reinforcing the role of open-source technology as a fundamental pillar of collective knowledge.
Glossary of technical terms
- ¹ ESP32: A low-cost and low-consumption chip or microcontroller that includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. It is one of the most widely used pieces of “open hardware” to create technological prototypes and connect sensors to the internet.
- ² LoRaWAN (and TTN): A wireless network technology specifically designed for the Internet of Things (IoT). It allows devices to send data over long distances with very little battery consumption and without the need to use commercial mobile networks or Wi-Fi. The Things Network (TTN) is the global and open community that supports this network.
- ³ M5Stack: A modular device containing a microcontroller protected by a casing, which usually includes a screen and buttons. It facilitates the quick and safe development of electronic projects without leaving components exposed.
- ⁴ SPI Serial: A communication protocol that functions as an internal short-range “data highway”. It allows two electronic components or microcontrollers that are very close to send information to each other directly, cleanly, and very quickly.
- ⁵ API: Acronym for Application Programming Interface. It is the IT bridge that allows the Openred application to “talk” directly to the website’s database to automatically upload measurements.
About the entities TTN-Madrid and Openred
About TTN-Madrid: Local community linked to The Things Network dedicated to the development and deployment of open, free, and decentralized Internet of Things (IoT) networks using LoRaWAN technology.
About Openred: Citizen science project whose main objective is the creation of an open and collaborative map of environmental radioactivity levels in Spain. Openred seeks to democratize access to science, allowing citizens to generate data of high scientific value under a rigorous methodology, while promoting citizen culture in radiological protection.
Openred is an initiative driven by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and the Ibercivis Foundation, in collaboration with experts from the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), the University of Zaragoza, the University of Cantabria, and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.