During the pandemic, the students and professors are suffered from the interruption of experimental activities, especially on experiments of radiation detection and measurements. Due to the social distance policy and laboratories’ limited capacity, the related experiments for teaching and research are mostly paused. In this proposal, we proposed to develop a remote spectra collection system at the radiation laboratories, which allows the students to obtain radiation spectra through the internet and remotely control the sample exchangers. The implementation of the project will benefit the teaching and research activities and reduce the personnel in laboratories. It will support students’ success in completing the degrees on time in health physics, radiochemistry, and nuclear engineering at UNLV.

The proposed project will include two essential parts: hardware and software.

1. Hardware: the sample exchanger, sensors and controllers, and Genie 2K spectra servers will be installed at the radiation laboratories on the first floor of BHS. The related instruments and sensors will build several accessory systems, such as a sample exchanger system, radiation detection system, camera system, and real-time online spectra collection system. The interaction of these instruments and sensors ensures the automatic operation of spectra collection in real-time.
2. Software: the time-consuming part of the project is to develop a robust software environment with LabVIEW and Genie2K for automation of the instruments, coupling with a cybersecurity authorization system. The software will include three parts: 1. Experiments monitoring and automation system based on LabVIEW and related sensors; 2. Real-time radiation spectra collection system based on Genie 2k; 3. An identity authorization system based on Asp.net. After the completion, the three parts will be coupling together to mirror the detectors’ spectra to the students and researchers at home in real-time.

What is the initiative’s enduring value?

1. The project will design and implement online spectra collection system in radiation laboratories at UNLV. The system will serve students during and after the pandemic.
2. Students, especially minority students, will get training in software design, instrumental control, and prototype testing.
3. The project will introduce new updates for radiation laboratories at UNLV. The new hardware will serve for this project and also for future research and teaching efforts.