RoverLab: a terrestrial drone-based system for environmental radioactivity monitoring

Abstract This work presents RoverLab, an innovative terrestrial drone-based detection system designed for environmental radioactivity monitoring. RoverLab integrates a plastic scintillator detector (ENVINET SPD32) coupled to a compact photomultiplier tube (Hamamatsu R7401P) and custom front-end electronics. Calibration was performed via laboratory measurements using certified radioactive sources and validated with Monte Carlo simulations (MCNP6.2). RoverLab demonstrated excellent linearity (R 2 > 0.99) and sensitivity in detecting radiological anomalies across dose rates ranging from 0 to 140 μSv/h. Field trials — including landfill inspection and monitoring of historical industrial sites — highlight the system's capability for real-time georeferenced mapping and precise hotspot detection, significantly enhancing operator safety and supporting judicial investigations.