GammaNet®
IoT (Internet of Things) Sensing Systems for Hazardous Environments.

A Ph.D Field Research Project in association with the University of Gloucestershire.

Principle Researcher: Mark Rhodes BSc (Hons), MSc, PGCert, DipEd, MBCS, MSET.

My name is Mark Rhodes, I am a Ph.D research student at the University of Gloucestershire. I am working to gain my Doctorate (Ph.D) in Cyber and Technical Computing, and my research area is the Internet of Things (IoT) and I have a passion for sensor systems for hazardous enviornments (Mainly Nuclear). My original passion/interests lies with the 1986 incident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Ukraine) and I had originally planned to design, build and further develop the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and deploy it in and around the abandonded city of Pripyat (Ukraine). Shortly after enrolling on the Ph.D programme, Russia invaded Ukraine, this resulted in locking down the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) meaning that no scientific investigations and/or experiments can be conducted whislt the conflict is ongoing.

With the confilct in Ukraine still ongoing, I have been forced to secure alternative locations to test and deploy the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), I have chosen Puriton due to its hightened levels of Radon Emissions this will happen in September 2025, this will be a Proof of Concept phase, then the Network will be deployed to Bridgwater (Pending Permissions) to test over a wider area, then to the Isle of Man (Pending Permissions), where there is recorded levels of radiation fallout from the Chernobyl Incident, and if conditions/situation permit, a final deployment to Pripyat mid 2026.

The Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has been built from the ground up using speciailst computers and sensors designed to Capture, Monitor, Record and Transmit data relating to levels of Radon and Environmental (Weather) from all around the network, data collected will be futher analysed to support my final Ph.D thesis (Dissertation).

GammaNet (The Wireless Sensor Network) is aimed to be deployed/installed (Week of:) 25th August 2025 in the village of Puriton, and will then be switched on (Go Live) on the Monday 1st September 2025 and begin collecting data, The Sensor Network will collect data over a 60 day period ending on the 31st October 2025 at 23:59 after this time the Network will be shut off and no further data collected beyond this date in this location.