GB2290652A

GB2290652A - Training apparatus for surveying contamination

Info

Publication number: GB2290652A
Application number: GB9412851A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Robert Ward
Original assignee: SAFE TRAINING SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: SAFE TRAINING SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 1994-06-27
Filing date: 1994-06-27
Publication date: 1996-01-03
Also published as: GB9412851D0

Abstract

Apparatus for training individuals in surveying terrain for contamination comprises a store for data indicative of a particular pattern of contamination in a terrain, e.g. the levels of contamination at a plurality of different regularly arrayed locations or cells within the terrain being surveyed, means for inputting data indicative of the position of the apparatus in a terrain being surveyed, e.g. means responsive to signals derived from a global positioning system to determine the coordinates of the location of the apparatus, and processor and display means responsive to the input data to read and display the stored data, e.g. values from the data store of the contamination level for a particular cell at a particular time.

Description

TRAINING APPARATUS DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to apparatus for training individuals, in particular apparatus for training individuals to survey terrain for contamination.

There is need for individuals to be trained in surveying relatively large territorial areas for contamination by chemical, biological or nuclear agents.

Such contamination may be airborne (for example, if caused by fallout from a nuclear plant or chemical factory or as a result of deliberate action by an enemy) or be simply effective on the ground (for example, if caused by spillage of chemical or biological agents).

Clearly the actual contamination of a relatively large area of terrain for training purposes could not be countenanced and a method of training is required which enables an individual to learn properly to survey an area for a particular contamination pattern which does not make use of any radio-active, chemical or biological agents (or surrogates therefor) placed in the area under survey.

The form of contamination pattern over a terrain following an accident at a nuclear, chemical or biological plant can be determined from history (for example, where the data has been recorded following an actual incident) or be computer modelled - bearing in mind the particular form of the terrain and any buildings and variations in wind and other atmospheric conditions at the time the hypothecated accident or enemy action took place.

Simply viewing the data in a laboratory or classroom is of little use in training individuals and there is need for individuals to be physically and practically trained in making use of apparatus which simulates, as closely as possible, the apparatus they would be required to use when surveying a terrain following a real incident.

An object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus.

Accordingly one aspect of the invention provides apparatus for training individuals in surveying terrain for contamination, which apparatus comprises: a store for data indicative of a particular pattern of contamination in a terrain, means for inputting data indicative of the position of the apparatus in a terrain being surveyed, and processor and display means responsive to the input data to read and display the stored data.

With advantage the data held in said store is indicative of the levels of contamination at a plurality of different regularly arrayed locations or cells within the terrain being surveyed.

It will be appreciated that in many cases a particular contamination pattern will change with time for example as fallout from a nuclear accident is carried downwind, the level of contamination at any particular location will vary and the size of the terrain which is affected by the contamination will increase.

Accordingly an embodiment of the present invention provides that the data store in the apparatus stores data indicative, of a plurality of particular contamination levels for each cell of the terrain being surveyed, and that the apparatus includes means enabling the processor and display means to read and display a value from the data store of the contamination level for a particular cell at a particular time.

Said means enabling the processor and display means to display values in the data store which are both position and time dependent preferably comprises a clock signal fed to the processor.

This clock signal may be generated internally of the apparatus or be received from an external source.

Preferably the apparatus is housed in a casing that mimics (e.g. is a simulation of) the casing of the actual instrument an individual would use in conducting a survey following an actual incident.

The means for inputting to the apparatus the position of the apparatus within the terrain being surveyed may comprise any suitable method by which the coordinates of the location of the apparatus can be determined. Thus the position of the apparatus within the terrain being surveyed may be determined by reference to appropriate radio or microwave beacons or in any other suitable way.

Very desirably the apparatus provides that the data indicative of the position of the apparatus and the real time is determined by use of the global positioning system (GPS) which is a satellite-base system implemented by the United States Government to provide accurate positioning information worldwide to ground observers.

GPS satellites continuously transmit highly accurate timing and orbital information from which the distance between each satellite and a user having appropriate portable receiver can be calculated. From this information a receiver can calculate its position with great accuracy.

Therefore in accordance with this embodiment of the invention the apparatus would be provided with an appropriate device for receiving timing and distance signals from a GPS satellite.

The data store within the apparatus may comprise any suitable means for storing the appropriate volume of data, for example any device which is capable of storing the data and to which the data may be fed.

With particular advantage the data store used in the apparatus comprises a device capable of reading data held in one of a number of different data storage modules.

These modules may take the form of magnetic cards, SMART cards or plug-in cartridge devices each of which includes read only data indicative of a particular pattern of contamination at a particular location.

The above, and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention now made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates apparatus for use in training individuals embodying the present invention, Figure 2 illustrates highly schematically component parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 illustrates graphically the way in which data may be stored in the apparatus described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular Figures 1 and 2. Training apparatus embodying the present invention comprises a casing 10 in which there is provided a visual display (e.g. an LED or LCD display) 12 - or any other display that mimics the display of a real-incident surveying instrument - and a keypad 14 or other means by which the apparatus may be rendered operational (or likewise simulates or mimics the keypad of a real-incident surveying instrument).

The apparatus carries an antenna 16 fitted flush with the front surface of the case as shown and the side of it is slotted as shown at 18 to enable data storage means in the form of a SMART card 20 to be inserted in the apparatus and read.

Within the apparatus there is provided a processor 22, a GPS navigation device or receiver 24, and a reader 26 for the SMART card 20 inserted in the apparatus.

Figure 3 illustrates, highly graphically, a typical terrain which might need to be surveyed following fallout of a biological chemical or radio active nature.

The terrain to be surveyed will include both naturally and man-made features as indicated, schematically in Figure 3 which shows a lake at 30, a built up area at 32 and a tree area at 34.

As can be seen from Figure 3 the terrain to be surveyed may be a quadrant with a 12Km side - the terrain thus having a total area of approximately 113km2 which equates to 450 cells if each is 500m on a side.

Each of the 0.25km2 cells in the terrain to be surveyed is given, for data storage purposes, a unique name - such as - as envisaged in Figure 3 - Aa, Bb, Dh, Vj and so on. A simulated (or pre-recorded) contamination level for each of the cells of the terrain to be surveyed is then assigned. In the case of airborne contamination the pattern of contamination over the area to be surveyed will change with time and to ensure the effects of this change are encountered by those being trained the contamination level recorded for each cell at a particular time in the training exercise will be recorded and stored.

It is envisaged that most exercises will not exceed 8 hours in length and the likely change in contamination level will not be significant over a period of 15 minutes. Thus measurable changes in the contamination levels at each cell location are recorded, at 15 minute intervals, and it will be appreciated that there will be 32 different records for each cell. This equates to a total of approximately 15000 data values to be stored.

It is further envisaged that the data held for each cell at each 15 minute interval will be one of 40 steps ranging from zero to full scale display, this step (2.5% of FSD) gives a relatively smooth response to changes.

To use the apparatus an appropriate memory card 20 is inserted in a slot 18 in the side of the apparatus and the apparatus is switched on at zero time. It is then taken by a person to be trained to the terrain to be surveyed. As an individual progresses through the area to be surveyed the GPS navigation device or receiver 24 will identify both the position of the apparatus and the real time, and this time and position information is passed to the processor 22. As a result the processor 22 will read from the data store 26 the relative level of contamination at the particular position for that time as held in the data store (which information is displayed on the display 12 of the apparatus).

As the trainee moves from one area to another within the terrain being surveyed so the GPS receiver 24 will update both the position and time information and the display given by the apparatus will change., as the processor reads the memory and instructs the display.

If one assumes the trainee starts at position cell Aa and at t1 the GPS reader will cause the processor 22 to abstract from the memory card held in the reader 26 data equivalent to Aatl. If the trainee moves to cell Ab still at the time t1 the processor will abstract data coded Abut, if then the trainee moves to cell Bb at time t2 then the data read from the memory will be that assigned to Bbt2. This process continues until the training session or exercise is complete. For example, if by completion is at time t30 and by that time the trainee has moved to cell Vh, then the processor 22 will read from the store data assigned to address Vht30 which be shown on display 12.

It is to be noted that the global positioning system is a passive receiver network and that the satellites transmit to ground users but receive no information from those users. As a result of this the satellites do not provide two way communication between the user and any base station gr control system. There are no subscriber or access fees to the use of GPS signals and no limit to the number of users which may simultaneously use them.

The accuracy of a civilian GPS receiver is, it has been found, such that 95% of the position fixes have an error of no greater than lOOm.

It has been found that the dispersion characteristics of chemical, biological or radio active substance contamination of an area obtained by computer modelling may be stored within about 64Kb of available memory. It will therefore be appreciated that the data required to provide a useful training exercise may be readily stored on a typically available SRAM memory card which may be plugged into the apparatus. Simulation of different events or different substances will simply involve plugging in different memory cards.

As already noted data to be held on the plug in memory card may come from historical information (data actually recorded following a real incident) or be generated by a computer model - there being many computer programmes available which will enable such modelling to be effected.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the above-described embodiment of the invention can be readily applied to the training of personnel in regard to accidents involving radioactive plumes. Such an application is based on the use of a plug-in memory card to hold the plume data - including time, position and the radiocativity level - and a GPS system to give information on the position of the apparatus (which simulates a real radioactivity measuring instrument) in the training area.

The apparatus responds to the two data inputs and provides the appropriate reading on the display.

In use, the training organiser would arrange for several apparatuses (or simulators) to be provided to several trainees. The training organiser would select a scenario that he wished to have acted out, and would insert the appropriate memory cards into the several simulators.

These would then be issued to the trainees who would then patrol the training area making readings as required in their instructions.

As they passed through the plume, the simulators would register the stored radioactivity level, which would change both with their position and with the passage of time. They would then be able to report their findings, carry out specific duties, and continue monitoring the area.

It will be appreciated that the above description is simply of one embodiment of the invention and that embodiments of the invention may be implemented using means and apparatus other than those specifically described.

For example the real time clock provided to the apparatus from the global positioning system may be replaced by any suitable, on board, clock or, if desired, by making use of the clock radio signal broadcast by the National Physical Laboratory. Again, the location of the apparatus within the terrain being surveyed need not, necessarily, make use of the global positioning satellite system but could, if desired, make use of signals from appropriately placed radio beacons about the area being surveyed.

It will further be seen that the SMART card used to store information is simply one implementation of a way in which different sets of information (or scenarios) may be readily input to the apparatus. Any form of data storage device which is relatively compact and easily available may be utilised - plug in cartridges, magnetic cards and the like.

It will be appreciated that many other modifications may be made to the described arrangements without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Apparatus for training individuals in surveying terrain for contamination, which apparatus comprises: a store for data indicative of a particular pattern of contamination in a terrain, means for inputting data indicative of the position of the apparatus in a terrain being surveyed, and processor and display means responsive to the input data to read and display the stored data.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data store stores data indicative of the levels of contamination at a plurality of different regularly arrayed locations or cells within the terrain being surveyed.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the data store stores data indicative of a plurality of particular contamination levels for each cell of the terrain being surveyed, and the apparatus includes means enabling the processor and display means to read and display a value from the data store of the contamination level for a particular cell at a particular time.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said means enabling the processor and display means to display values in the data store which are both position and time dependent comprises a clock signal fed to the processor.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein means internally of the apparatus generate said clock signal.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein means internally of the apparatus receive said clock signal which is generated from a source located externally of the apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim and housed in a casing that mimics (e.g. is a simulation of) the casing of the actual instrument an individual would use in conducting a survey following an incident potentially giving rise to actual contamination.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the means for inputting data indicative of the position of the apparatus within the terrain being surveyed comprises means operable (by a suitable method) to determine the coordinates of the location of the apparatus.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein said means operable to determine the coordinates of the location of the apparatus is operable by reference to appropriate radio or microwave signals (e.g. from one or more beacons).

10. Apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein said means operable to determine the coordinates of the location of the apparatus is responsive to signals derived from a global positioning system.

11. Apparatus according to Claim 10, comprising a device for receiving timing and distance signals from a GPS satellite.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the data store comprises means for storing the appropriate volume of data.

13. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the data store comprises a device capable of reading data held in one of a number of different data storage modules.

14. Apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said modules take the form of magnetic cards, or SMART cards or plug-in cartridge devices, each of which includes read-only data indicative of a particular pattern of contamination at a particular location.

15. Apparatus for training individuals in surveying terrain for contamination, which apparatus is substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of training individuals in surveying terrain for contamination, which method comprises supplying said individuals with apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims, and instructing them in the use thereof with data input to the apparatus in simulation of potential or actual contamination of that terrain.

17. A method according to Claim 16 and substantially as herein described.