A team of students at University of California Berkeley has
developed a small, wearable device to measure air pollutants. The device, called
Clarity, uses sensors to detect particulate matter 2.5, volatile organic
compounds, nitrogen dioxide and ammonia.
Clarity can be attached to a variety
of objects including backpacks, bicycles or belt loops to measure air quality
of the home or office. The device then sends real-time alerts to a smartphone
app on the user’s phone that tracks pollution levels and sends notifications of
the safest times to be outdoors or engage in strenuous physical activities.
Clarity’s marketing efforts are currently targeted at
parents, athletes and people with respiratory sensitivity in China.
The group is hopeful that widespread use of the device will
lead to data collection that can offer new insight into air quality levels that
may prompt government action.
“With enough Clarity devices, our data can generate a precise
model of air flow through cities. This can lead to better decisions in urban
planning,” said Clarity founder Hannah Hagen. “For example, understanding where
pollution hot spots are and how street characteristics like building height
affect pollution levels. It can also help with day-to-day management of air
pollution by helping make decisions like when to divert traffic on certain
streets or shut down factories to avoid a pollution peak.”
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