SCC-PG: Leveraging Community Partners and IoT Based Sensors to Improve Localized Air Quality Monitoring in Communities

世界上大约91%的人口生活在目前不符合空气质量标准的环境中。在美国，1970年的《清洁空气法》导致空气污染浓度降至国家标准以下，这意味着美国大多数社区的空气更清洁。然而，清洁空气并不是在所有社区都能实现的，尤其是在有色人种社区，那里的空气质量差异很大。此外，稀疏部署的监管空气质量传感器可能无法准确检测居民在社区呼吸的空气质量。随着低成本传感器的可用性以及低成本单板计算机和微控制器的进步，本研究旨在通过部署物联网（IoT）空气质量传感器，为居民提供准确了解其空气质量的能力。我们会与受红线及附近污染源影响的居民会面，以了解空气质素如何影响他们的日常生活，以及哪些空气质素资讯对他们最有利。此外，该团队将与合作学校密切合作，为学生创建K-12课程，让他们学习如何创建自己的空气质量传感器，在他们的学校部署它，并将空气质量读数公开。在这项研究中，我们将低成本颗粒物传感器的可用性与物联网兼容的单板计算机和微控制器的可访问性相结合，以实现公开可用的细粒度空气质量信息。为了提供对数据的实时访问，将开发一个适用于iOS和Android的原型移动应用程序，以及一个web仪表板。为了解决电源和连接方面的共同挑战，我们将与pc for People合作部署传感器，并通过其现有基础设施提供连接。将开发一种外壳，以确保适当的气流，对无线通信的干扰低，并且是模块化的，可以在未来实现其他传感功能。我们将把传感器测试部署的结果与监管传感器读数进行比较，并与社区和地方官员分享结果。为了确保项目的可持续性并为其提供扩展的机会，我们将与当地一所中学合作创建一个开源的计算机科学与工程课程，我们将在我们的大学试点一个技术营。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Approximately 91% of the world population lives in environments that do not currently meet air quality standards. In the United States (U.S.), the Clean Air Act of 1970 has resulted in air pollution concentrations dropping below national standards, meaning that most communities in the U.S. have cleaner air. However, clean air is not realized across all communities, especially in communities of color, where air quality can differ significantly. Further, regulatory air quality sensors that are sparsely deployed may not accurately detect the quality of air that residents breathe in their communities. With the availability of low-cost sensors and advancement of low-cost single-board computers and microcontrollers, this research aims to provide residents with an ability to accurately understand their air quality through the deployment of an Internet of Things (IoT) air quality sensor. We will meet with residents that have been affected by both redlining and nearby pollution sources to better understand how air quality affects their daily lives and what air quality information is most beneficial to them. In addition, the team will closely collaborate with partner school(s) to create K-12 curriculum for students to learn how to create their own air quality sensor, deploy it at their school, and make the air quality readings publicly available.In this research, we will combine the availability of low-cost particulate matter sensors with the accessibility of IoT compatible single-board computers and microcontrollers to enable publicly available fine-grained air quality information. To provide real-time access to the data, a prototype mobile application for both iOS and Android, along with a web dashboard, will be developed. To address common challenges of both power and connectivity, we will partner with PCs for People to deploy the sensors and provide connectivity through their existing infrastructure. An enclosure will be developed that ensures proper airflow, has low interference with wireless communication, and is modular to allow other sensing capabilities in the future. We will compare the findings from a test deployment of the sensors with regulatory sensors readings and share the results with the community and local officials. To ensure the sustainability of the project and provide an opportunity for it to expand, we will create an open-source Computer Science and Engineering curriculum in partnership with a local middle school and we will pilot a tech camp at our university.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.