• Augmenting Air Quality Monitoring Networks

Named Kaatru, which translates to air in Tamil, the app’s team measures air pollution using a mobile and modular measurement device in the consort. Here’s how it works. Multiple measurement devices are placed on vehicles that travel in a particular area, that accurately record the data on air quality, which is used to derive insights using machine learning algorithms.

The hardware setup is a standalone, location-aware telemetry device with bidirectional communication with a central server. The device has an array of sensors that can measure 25 environmental parameters including location and time. The device comprises on-board Global Position System (GPS) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) modules for location tagging and real-time communication with a cloud-based server, respectively. Each device sends geotagged ambient environmental data to a central server once every 20 seconds. The modular design of the hardware allows for the integration of additional sensors depending on the need. Their compact form factor allows them to be fitted on vehicles such as cars, auto-rickshaws or even motorbikes. The device requires less than 10 watts of power and can be powered using the vehicle’s battery itself. The units are strategically deployed in order to achieve maximum coverage with minimal units. As these vehicle-mounted units traverse across the city, they collect and transmit location-tagged environmental information to a cloud server in real-time. In addition to vehicle-mounted devices, some devices are placed at fixed locations.