 Recent events have highlighted the need for unmanned remote sensing in dangerous areas, particularly where structures have collapsed where explosions have occurred, to limit hazards, to first responders, and increase their efficiency in planning response operations. In the case of the Fukushima nuclear reactor explosion, an unmanned helicopter capable of obtaining overhead images, gathering radiation measurements, and mapping both the structural and radiation content of the environment would have given the response team invaluable data early in the disaster, thereby allowing them to understand the extent of the damage in areas where dangers to personnel existed. With this motivation, the unmanned systems lab at Virginia Tech has developed a remote sensing system for radiation detection and aerial imaging using a 90 kilograms autonomous helicopter, and sensing payloads for the radiation detection and imaging operations. The radiation payload, which is the sensor of focus in this paper, consists of a scintillating type detector with associated software and novel search algorithms to rapidly and effectively map and locate sources of high radiation intensity. By incorporating this sensing technology into an unmanned aerial vehicle system, crucial situational awareness can be gathered. This article was authored by Kevin Cochersberger, Brian Krawick, and Jerry Towler. We are article.tv. Links in the description below.