5G Air Quality Control

Air quality monitoring app that runs on 5G is being trialled in Helsinki.

20:36 27 March 2018

The University of Helsinki and Bell Labs are working together for the development of an air quality monitoring app that generates precise, timely data on air quality using sensors and 5G technology. Real-time insights on the level of air pollution are hoped to enable more informed decision-making for cities.

 

The app, which is called the GreenPath, provides citizens with visual updates on air quality via their smartphone. This allows them to efficiently plan routes around where air is cleaner. This is crucial as air pollution is the fourth largest risk to health and can cause respiratory infections, cardiovascular disease, strokes and lung problems.

 

The MegaSense Initiative uses a dense network of air quality sensors designed to detect pollutants and generate an overview of an area’s air quality. The sensor data is bolstered with data from the University of Helsinki’s SMEAR research stations in Finland and China.

 

Professor Sasu Tarkoma, head of the University of Helsinki’s Department of Computer Science, said: “Finland has top-notch experts both in atmospheric and data sciences and in 5G development. Through the interdisciplinary MegaSense cooperation project, we can significantly improve air quality monitoring, which in turn will enable increasingly precise data for decision-making.”