<i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality
Increasing urbanisation and a better understanding of the negative health effects of air pollution have accelerated the use of Internet of Things (IoT)-based air quality sensors. Low-cost and low-power sensors are now readily available and commonly deployed by individuals and community groups. Howev...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/12/4044 |
| _version_ | 1797530492884484096 |
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| author | Sachit Mahajan Jennifer Gabrys Joanne Armitage |
| author_facet | Sachit Mahajan Jennifer Gabrys Joanne Armitage |
| author_sort | Sachit Mahajan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing urbanisation and a better understanding of the negative health effects of air pollution have accelerated the use of Internet of Things (IoT)-based air quality sensors. Low-cost and low-power sensors are now readily available and commonly deployed by individuals and community groups. However, there are a wide range of such IoT devices in circulation that differently focus on problems of sensor validation, data reliability, or accessibility. In this paper, we present AirKit, which was developed as an integrated and open source “<i>social IoT technology</i>”. AirKit enables a comprehensive approach to citizen-sensing air quality through several integrated components: (1) the Dustbox 2.0, a particulate matter sensor; (2) Airsift, a data analysis platform; (3) a reliable and automatic remote firmware update system; (4) a “Data Stories” method and tool for communicating citizen data; and (5) an AirKit logbook that provides a guide for designing and running air quality projects, along with instructions for building and using AirKit components. Developed as a social technology toolkit to foster open processes of research co-creation and environmental action, Airkit has the potential to generate expanded engagements with IoT and air quality by improving the accuracy, legibility and use of sensors, data analysis and data communication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:29:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e74e9e45ee20452c8ee300e59577451e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:29:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-e74e9e45ee20452c8ee300e59577451e2023-11-21T23:47:50ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202021-06-012112404410.3390/s21124044<i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air QualitySachit Mahajan0Jennifer Gabrys1Joanne Armitage2Computational Social Science (COSS), ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, SwitzerlandCitizen Sense, Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1SB, UKSchool of Media and Communication, University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKIncreasing urbanisation and a better understanding of the negative health effects of air pollution have accelerated the use of Internet of Things (IoT)-based air quality sensors. Low-cost and low-power sensors are now readily available and commonly deployed by individuals and community groups. However, there are a wide range of such IoT devices in circulation that differently focus on problems of sensor validation, data reliability, or accessibility. In this paper, we present AirKit, which was developed as an integrated and open source “<i>social IoT technology</i>”. AirKit enables a comprehensive approach to citizen-sensing air quality through several integrated components: (1) the Dustbox 2.0, a particulate matter sensor; (2) Airsift, a data analysis platform; (3) a reliable and automatic remote firmware update system; (4) a “Data Stories” method and tool for communicating citizen data; and (5) an AirKit logbook that provides a guide for designing and running air quality projects, along with instructions for building and using AirKit components. Developed as a social technology toolkit to foster open processes of research co-creation and environmental action, Airkit has the potential to generate expanded engagements with IoT and air quality by improving the accuracy, legibility and use of sensors, data analysis and data communication.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/12/4044low-cost sensors and devicessensor designcrowd sensing and crowd sourcingsocial networkssmart citiessocial impacts |
| spellingShingle | Sachit Mahajan Jennifer Gabrys Joanne Armitage <i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality Sensors low-cost sensors and devices sensor design crowd sensing and crowd sourcing social networks smart cities social impacts |
| title | <i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality |
| title_full | <i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality |
| title_fullStr | <i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality |
| title_short | <i>AirKit</i>: A Citizen-Sensing Toolkit for Monitoring Air Quality |
| title_sort | i airkit i a citizen sensing toolkit for monitoring air quality |
| topic | low-cost sensors and devices sensor design crowd sensing and crowd sourcing social networks smart cities social impacts |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/12/4044 |
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