The UK is serious about cutting down on its CO2 emissions and reducing the ever-increasing noise pollution. As it’s quite imperative to monitor the air quality before actually suggesting some remedial measures, the Imperial College London’s researchers plan to transform pedestrians and cyclists into “Mobile Pollution Sensors.” It’s never going to be a speedy program, since a collective three years’ data will reveal some of the pollution hotspots in and around South Kensington, Leicester, Gateshead and Cambridge. Professor John Polak rightly comments:
There is a lot that we do not know about air quality in our cities and towns because the current generation of large stationary sensors don’t provide enough information.
Yes, it’s perfectly prudent to have highlighted that. And to answer it, the research team thought of a unique plan. The thorough testing of the environmental pollution level will be done via three new types of sensors. Now, it becomes interesting to imagine pedestrians and cyclists with attached sensors providing exact details on harmful gases like nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. They won’t have any problem in wearing these sensors, since these can be put into pockets.
Moreover, the system includes data mining from vehicles and traffic islands. They call it MESSAGE or Mobile Environmental Sensing System Across Grid Environments.
Well, after having collected the data, it will be transmitted through the pedestrian’s mobile phones. Still, what about the vehicles and traffic islands; how’ll these…?
Anyhow, it’s a terrific move and is an ominous one, for detecting is a curative approach in itself.
Image Source: Adriandale/Wikipedia
