Validation
Outdoor validation
TeChBioT validated its chemical and biological sensing concepts outdoors to demonstrate field relevance beyond laboratory conditions. The trials were designed to test operation under realistic constraints such as variable ambient conditions, background interferents, stand-off sampling needs and limited time for sample handling, while still producing actionable outputs for reconnaissance and response workflows.
Chemical outdoor validation:
Stand-Off Reconnaissance with IMS and Decision Support
The chemical outdoor validation focused on demonstrating that the high-temperature IMS concept can be deployed in a mobile reconnaissance setting and can support remote detection and decision-making.
In the TeChBioT concept, the IMS module is integrated on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), enabling measurements to be collected while the platform moves through an area of interest and keeping operators at a safer distance.
This deployment model is relevant for:
Urban environments
Constrained operational settings
Rapid assessment following a release event
From Signal Presence to Actionable Detection
A key objective was to move beyond “signal presence” toward actionable detection.
TeChBioT therefore implemented:
AI-supported alarm logic
An operational pathway toward localisation and mapping concepts
The outdoor validation confirmed that, despite changing ambient conditions — including humidity and complex backgrounds — the IMS signal remains sufficiently stable and interpretable to feed automated classification and alarm decisions quickly enough for reconnaissance loops and guided search strategies.
Scenarios:
- Leaking barrels. Suspicious barrels with unknown content. One barrel is tipped over and assumed to leak, causing potential ground contamination and a downwind-moving gas cloud.
- Aerosol release. Spraying of a liquid, simulating effects such as artillery/rocket/mortar impact with CWA, with downwind gas cloud movement and droplet contamination in the surrounding area.
- Contamination of protective suit. Small-scale surface contamination of a reconnaissance soldier’s protective suit, followed by staged decontamination with IMS checks between steps.
Biological outdoor validation:
Mobile-Lab Py-GC-IMS with Field-Realistic Sample Preparation
The biological outdoor validation emphasised a different operational model because TeChBioT’s bio approach relies on pyrolysis to convert non-volatile biological material into volatile fragments that form discriminative fingerprints for GC-IMS detection and AI-assisted classification.
For this reason, the outdoor bio validation focused on robust workflows and practical sample handling rather than mounting the full bio chain on a small robotic platform.
The system was deployed stationarily in a mobile laboratory context and assessed for usability and robustness under field constraints.
Matrix-Realistic Concentration Workflow
A central element of the outdoor bio validation was a matrix-realistic concentration workflow for water samples, designed to increase biological load and improve reproducibility prior to pyrolysis analysis.
The procedure described in TeChBioT includes:
Filtration
Recovery
Concentration steps compatible with rapid field deployment
The approach treats sample handling as an integral part of fieldable biological detection, because both matrix co-load and biomass amount directly influence pyrolysis fingerprints.
The validation included identification in a tap-water matrix and notes robustness and ease of use of the system in the mobile-lab setting.
