SCIENTISTS are transforming pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars into mobile wireless sensors as part of a demonstration of new ways of measuring air quality. Imperial College’s Professor John Polak reports. HOW do you improve the the monitoring and management of air quality in urban areas?

Mobile monitoring is one answer.

So a group of scientists is turning pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars into mobile wireless sensors to demonstrate new ways of measuring air quality.

The project is called MESSAGE (Mobile Environmental Sensing System Across Grid Environments).

So, why are we doing this? There is a lot that we do not know about air quality in our cities and towns. The current generation of large stationary sensors don’t provide enough information. We envisage a future where hundreds and thousands of mobile sensors are deployed across the country, to improve the way we monitor, measure and manage pollution in our urban areas.

Scientists are deploying three new types of sensors. These measure multiple types of traffic emissions and noise pollution. The 100 sensors are deployed in South Kensington in London, Leicester, Gateshead in Tyne & Wear, and Cambridge.

The new sensor technology can measure and model air quality to improve understanding about pollution hotspots. And analyse the factors such as bad urban design that contribute to poor air quality.

Scientists will also model pollution clouds in 3-D, by attaching sensors to traffic lights and street lamps. They aim to understand how it forms, lingers and dissipates in high emission zones. The team hopes this will lead to insights about whether, for example, poor signalling is causing traffic congestion which contributes to reduced air quality in the area.

Cars to measure pollutants in London

Sensors measuring up to five traffic pollutants simultaneously will be deployed on moving cars and buses. These sensors will be attached to vehicles driving around South Kensington.

Sensors measure pedestrian/cyclist exposure to pollution

Another type of sensor will be attached to pedestrians and cyclists. This is to measure the pollution to which they are exposed. These sensors are small enough to fit into a pocket and can detect car pollutants and other contaminants including carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke. The sensors utilise the wearer’s mobile phone to transmit data which enables the wearer to monitor pollution levels around them.

Measuring pollution and congestion

In addition, the team will install sensors to analyse the link between traffic congestion and levels of pollution in targeted locations such as pedestrian crossings, traffic intersections, industrial areas and motorways. These sensors will measure noise and air pollutants and use ultrasound technology, where high frequency sound is bounced off cars, to count traffic driving past. They will be located at South Kensington, Gateshead and Leicester.

The air quality measurements and the location of each mobile sensor will be tracked on Google maps.

The Mobile Environmental Sensing System Across Grid Environments (MESSAGE) initiative is led by Imperial College London and brings together internationally leading specialist research groups in the fields of e-Science, transport, sensors and communications technologies from the Universities of Cambridge, Leeds, Newcastle and Southampton.

The three year MESSAGE project is jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Department for Transport.

Further information

To visit the MESSAGE website go to www.message-project.org