Air Quality Measurement Network with Big Data Technology

YERIN KIM

Air Quality Measurement Network with Big Data Technology

These days, the problem of air pollution is getting serious throughout the whole world. Also, specifically, the problem of fine dust is the most recent and radical problem to South Korea, China, Germany, and other countries. Many countries are developing their own technology and make many efforts to solve these serious problems. Germany, for example, developed the fine dust program by using big data to provide information about fine dust and air quality.
In Germany, more than three-quarters of the population lives in cities. For their health, knowing about air quality is an important factor. However, the government doesn’t provide sufficient information to citizens about each day’s air quality and seriousness of air pollution. To solve this problem, KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) researchers began the project called “SmartAQnet (Smart Air Quality Network)”. SmartAQnet is aimed at developing a measurement network in the model region Augsburg that captures all currently available aerosol and gas measurement data. Also, to solve the problem of cost, the members are developing new low-cost measurement technology so that all of the citizens are available to get that information. Because the major purpose of this program is to provide sufficient information to many people, it can freely and flexibly be used for the development of science, society, and individuals.
However, at first, providing useful information with low cost was one of the biggest challenges they met. To solve this problem, Matthias Budde, head of the project and computer scientist at the Chair for Pervasive Computing System (PCS), innovatively combined the study of big data and light technology. Budde developed a plug-in sensor and an app to turn the camera of a smartphone into a fine dust detector. The flash of the smartphone emits light into the measurement area and this light is scattered by the fine dust. Budde used the camera to captures the measurement result in the form of a picture. From this picture, the dust concentration can be calculated. This simple technology for measurement came out from Buddle’s idea and this became a mainstream of the project. Even though this non-expert simple technology can lower the preciseness of measurement, this drawback can be covered by the huge advantage that the entire citizen can access this information easily.
SmartAQnet is developing an innovative project that the principle of big data, environmental science, and physics are combined in one technology. Many critics believe that this technology has infinitive development possibility that can be the key to solving the air pollution problem. By this technology, the citizens not only are provided information about air quality and dust but also are alerted the seriousness of air pollution so that they can be evoked to make some efforts by themselves.