Autonomous Platform for Remote use of Colorimetric Chemical Sensors

We describe here a device for the autonomous use of Draeger colorimetric sensor tubes (CSTs) at large stand-off distances (> 1 km). CSTs are an attractive option for the detection of hazardous chemicals thanks to their high sensitivity and simplicity but present several challenges when considered for automation. Here, these challenges are discussed, and a proof-of-concept device that demonstrates viable solutions is detailed. Our realized prototype is capable of processing thioether CSTs without human interaction and demonstrates comparable sensor fidelity to manually processed tubes.