Presentation about the MIMAQ.org project held at the symposium "Geo Matters, City Scatters" TU Delft / Geomatics and the State of Social Media Summit / Amsterdam.

1. Mobile Individual Measurements of Air Quality
State of Social Media Summit
Trouw Amsterdam, 28 Oct 2010

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDSk-sVP7hE

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDSk-sVP7hE

4. What is MIMAQ
• Real time air quality monitoring
• Mobile (personal) sensors
• Carried by volunteering participants
• Visualization on maps and mobile Augmented Reality

5. Project
• Dec. 2009: proof of concept during Copenhagen
Climate Summit
• Mar-Oct 2010: pilot in Leiden, The Netherlands
• Supported by Digitale Pioniers, ministry OCW

6. Purpose
• Create a real time air quality monitoring network.
• Make the invisible environment visible.
• Find out how hyper-local, personal measurements are
perceived by the audience (volunteers).
• Evaluation currently in progress.
• Increase involvement of civillians in this expert area.

7. How does it work
• The City Senspod device measures pollution levels.
• Data samples are transferred via Bluetooth.
• Results are displayed...
• on Google Maps
• on mobile devices (Augmented Reality view)
•
Internet

8. Measurements
• Every second a sample is taken, including:
• GPS location
• Levels of NOx and CO
• Temperature, Relative humidity
• Noise level in dBA
• We chose NOx as indicator for air quality, also for its
correlation with PM10 and PM2.5 levels*
* Source: ECN Petten

9. Map view
• Example plot
during morning
rush hour
• NOx levels
(red = high)
• Red track
corresponds
with traffic
congestion

10. Augmented Reality view
• Layar Augmented Reality browser (iPhone, Android).
• NOx levels are rendered as “clouds” in the air.

11. Results
• About a month worth of raw data, collected by five
City Senspods.
• Implemented map view and AR view.
• Approx. 60 volunteers
involved.
• Preliminary calibration
and interpretation, work
in progress...

12. Limitations
• Sensor calibration!
• Influence of temperature,
humidity and O3
• GPS accuracy
(no valid data acquisition
without GPS fix)

13. Highlights
• Feedback from volunteers and test users
• Wow this is impressive, “Is this for real?”
• Thought provoking and fun.
• Positive action, creates awareness, empowering.
• Excellent case for education.
• Interest from public services (e.g. fire brigade).
• Mixed reactions from established policy makers.

14. Conclusions
• Pollution measurement can be done on a qualitative
level with simple, low-cost components.
• Potentially provide real-time and early-warning
information.
• MIMAQ enables individuals to participate in
environmental monitoring and use the data to fuel the
public debate.
• Measurements can be used to enrich any geo data.

15. Thank you!
• Johannes la Poutré
• Email: johannes@mimaq.org
• Web: http://mimaq.org
• Twitter: @mimaq
MIMAQ is supported by Kennisland, Digitale Pioniers