In an effort to provide local communities with timely, relevant environmental data, the University of Utah has designed an air quality sensor that is used to create a crowdsourced pollution index map.
The AirU is a low-cost device that collects essential air quality data in a high-density network. Four sensors and a GPS are integrated onto the platform: the PMS3003 particulate matter sensor detects very fine dust, soot, and smoke particles with great accuracy; the MiCS-4514 dual sensor measures both carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide gases; the HDC1080 sensor provides temperature and humidity readings; and the OPT3001 measures the intensity of visible light. GPS location data is used to correlate data to a map (latitude, longitude, and altitude). At the core of the AirU is a secure WiFi certified CC3200MOD microcontroller. This system uses an IoT development platform that requires no prior hardware knowledge to provide the end user with a remote monitoring solution via a website. Backup data is stored to a micro SD card.