Japan’s DoCoMo makes smartphone that can measure radiation

September 22, 2011 By Trevor Mogg

Japan's largest mobile phone carrier, NTT DoCoMo, says it has developed a smartphone capable of measuring radiation levels.

A smartphone that can measure radiation levels will be showcased at the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technology (CEATEC) in Japan next month.

The development of the phone comes in the wake of the disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima back in March. The plant suffered meltdowns inside several of its reactors and continues to release radiation into the environment, though it is gradually being brought under control.

Not surprisingly, demand for devices that measure radiation has increased dramatically in the country in the last six months and it’s this demand that inspired NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile phone carrier, to develop the special smartphone.

The phone will be equipped with interchangeable cases, or jackets, that incorporate special sensors. Besides the one capable of detecting radiation, there’ll also be one that can measure the alcohol level in the body and another that’ll give a reading for body fat.

DoCoMo spokesperson Daisuke Sakuma told the news agency AFP: “Many customers have been nervous about radiation since the Great East Japan Earthquake. We had been thinking what services we can provide to address these needs as a telecom carrier.”

Although the operators of the stricken nuclear power plant and the Japanese government release information about radiation levels around the plant, many people are distrustful of the figures. With that in mind, it’s easy to imagine that DoCoMo’s smartphone will, if put on the market, be popular among consumers in the country.

CEATEC, Japan’s biggest tech show, kicks off on October 4 near Tokyo and runs for five days.

[Source: BBC] [Image courtesy of Laurent Renault / Shutterstock]

Showing 2 comments

Charyl Zehfus at 8:47am 28th September 2011 This is so goofy when the smart phone itself puts out another kind of radiation. Do you think smart phone non-ionizing radiation stays nicely within the (outdated) FCC exposure limits when twenty people around you are all on their phones at the same time? No one is keeping track of second-hand SAR. Think about it.Beyond SAR, numerous (ignored) studies show other serious effects of exposure to microwave emissions from these products, including a repeated and verified experiment showing that even lower levels cause albumin to leak into the brain, which can cause neural damage and memory effects. Look up the peer-reviewed studies by L.G. Salford on this. The ramifications are staggering in terms of public health.
safecast at 10:18pm 23rd September 2011 This is far from original or new. Interchangeable dock option (for iPhone) was already invented in April and you can see it on www.iGeigie.com The real iGeigie is currently on display in the AFO museum in Linz as part of the "Sensing Space" exhibit part of Ars Electronica 2011. The real iGeigie can measure alpha and beta besides gamma. Though I don;t have the specs of this docomo clone, it probably will not have alpha/beta sensor and will be fairly useless for people that are affected by radiation. A gamma dosimeter is the most clumsy device to do surface contamination checks and has had its time. People are need of devices that are sensitive enough to give fast reading on surfaces so they can avoid hotspots around their house and use it in decontamination.If you need to know the air radiation, you don;t need a geiger counter anymore -- you can simply go to SAFECAST.org and go to street level radiation levels by entering your ZIP code.