INFICON and Modovolo Take Chemical Detection to the Next Level
Drone-enabled sampling enables fast chemical ID without exposure.
What if first responders and hazmat teams could positively identify a chemical hazard without ever having to put on PPE or a gas mask? That's the question INFICON and Modovolo have been working together to tackle, and a recent field test suggests they are close to a solution.
The two companies demonstrated a prototype payload that combines INFICON's proprietary chemical identification technology with the Modovolo Lift drone platform. In the test, the drone flew directly into a simulated chemical hazard to collect a small air sample using a lightweight, reusable vapor sampling cartridge. Within minutes, it returns with the cartridge, which is docked to the INFICON HAPSITE® CDT system for analysis, identification, and quantification, with no personnel ever required to set foot inside the hot zone.
“Our commitment to research and development in chemical identification is driven by one goal: keep responders safe. A detector that can fly on a drone means analysis and identification capabilities can go wherever the mission takes you while you’re at a safe distance,” said Devon Higgins, Ph.D., Product Manager, INFICON.
Faster, Safer Chemical Hazard Response
The system represents a significant shift in how hazmat teams could operate in the field. Traditionally, collecting a sample to assess a potential threat meant getting someone dressed in PPE to go downrange into the hazard first. Without modern technology, it could also mean bagging hazardous materials and transporting them to an offsite laboratory for analysis, which can take days to get results. This drone-mounted detector prototype collapses that timeline: the uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) goes downrange to collect a gas sample; upon return, the sample is loaded into the HAPSITE and identified within minutes, so responders get answers at the scene.
Portability is a key factor in keeping first responders safe. Rather than requiring fixed infrastructure, the UAS system is compact enough for teams to bring directly to an incident, a critical feature for military and emergency response applications. The two companies are currently preparing for an upcoming military exercise that will put the technology through its paces in a real-world setting.
“It’s been awesome working together,” said Justin Call, Co-Founder, Modovolo. “This simulated chemical hazmat situation demonstrated the capabilities of cutting-edge technology to make response safer and faster.”
Modovolo, based in Vernon Center, N.Y., recently won a $500,000 Genius NY prize, recognition of the company's growing capabilities in advanced drone platforms. INFICON brings decades of expertise in gas analysis and chemical detection instrumentation to the partnership.
Together, they're building something that could change the calculus of hazmat response, keeping responders safer by letting the UAS take the risk first.
