GammaPix Lite-Gamma Rad Detect

Image Insight, Inc.

About this app

Developed initially for several federal agencies, turns your phone into a detector of ionizing radiation. The GammaPix technology has been successfully tested at independent labs with calibrated sources. It was developed with support from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (U.S. Department of Homeland Security), and the Transportation Research Board (U.S. National Academy of Sciences). We were encouraged by them to bring this technology to the public.

Worried about accidental exposure to radioactive material or acts of terrorism? The GammaPix App can provide timely warning of the presence of radioactivity using nothing more than your phone's camera. While it is NOT meant to be a substitute for dedicated ionizing radiation detectors, it is a rapid and convenient way of making preliminary threat estimates.

We hope you enjoy using GammaPix!

Notes:
• Various circumstances may compromise the measurement or make the results inaccurate.

• Automatic monitoring will use ~1-5% of your battery, but could warn you of radiation even when not using the App.

• A 5 to 10-minute initialization is required before you use the application for the first time. We know this step slows you down, but it really is necessary to get the best results. Please perform this step in a place you know is likely to be free of excessive radioactivity, with your device cool and unplugged.

• For best results make sure no light is getting into the camera when you run the GammaPix App. Putting the phone in your pocket or covering it with a book works well.

• A reading takes about 3 to 5 minutes if there's no danger. Dangerous levels will be reported sooner.

• Try out Settings > Use long third stage for a more sensitive reading!

• The GammaPix App will not work on some phone models because the camera optimization at low light levels gives "bright" pictures.

• Not all phone models have been calibrated. We'll use your readings to provide a calibration for your model. The more you take, the sooner we'll have a calibration.

Ratings and reviews

App not showing anywhere measurements counts in any units. Despite in settings, you select units type. This app only show you "all clear" and green got at the test end. in "real time mode" the graph has time units, but no units or even scale for measurements or any number is assigned for the measurements. Are those cumulative counting, does it zero count, or background level calibration leve, that is it measuring? is it zero or what? what units, what is shown?

On my Google Pixel 8 Pro, it said the lens was uncovered and didn't work, even if I fully covered it. However, I tried it on a Google Pixel 4a, and it worked. It seems this app doesn't work on some phones, as they have an imbedded LED which bleeds infrared light into the camera. The light is invisible to the eye, but the camera's sensor can see it. If your camera sees a purplish light in its own reflection, it's incompatible. Even when working, it takes several minutes to complete a scan.

This app does its job properly. For anyone not knowing, this app needs access to the camera because gamma rays can interact with the camera's sensor, showing a sort of "line". It needs completely dark environment (use black tape to cover lens) because to detect radiation, it measures the amount of light flashes in a determined amount of time. So, yes this app does indeed access the camera, for anyone concerned about that, but only if it is pitch black.

What's new

Bug fixes