For the public, measuring ambient radioactivity makes it possible to participate in territorial monitoring in addition to existing associative or institutional monitoring networks. It also allows participation in scientific projects such as those on the impact of solar flares on board aircraft (in-flight measurements) or certain electrical phenomena in storms (see Terrestrial Gamma Flash, TGF) (in-flight and ground measurements).
This approach also has a pedagogical dimension. Indeed, making measurements in your environment allows you to better understand the phenomenon of radioactivity, to better understand the levels of exposure and possible associated risks, and finally, to form your own opinion and, if necessary, to draw lessons from it in your daily life.
One of the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident is that the lack of knowledge and understanding of events and their consequences in a crisis situation is extremely stressful for the people directly concerned but also for remote witnesses. Thus, the citizens, directly affected or not, who collect the data characterizing the places and share them, contribute to usefully informing the population to deal with such situations.
Within the OpenRadiation project, this pedagogical dimension was taken into account from the beginning with the provision of a "kit" dosimeter (i.e. to be assembled yourself) and an intuitive and didactic smartphone application (measurement reliability indicator, possibility to enter environmental parameters...). In addition, the site offers the opportunity to have exchanges and discussions around specific measures or advice on good practices for carrying out measurements.