Scientists transform pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars into mobile wireless sensors <em>- News Release</em>

Under Strict Embargo
Tuesday 30 June 2009
00:01BST

Scientists will transform pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars into mobile wireless sensors today (Tuesday 30 June 2009), as part of a demonstration of new ways of measuring air quality.

Researchers will show transport authority and industry representatives how small mobile sensors could improve how air quality in urban areas is monitored and managed.

“There is a lot that we do not know about air quality in our cities and towns because the current generation of large stationary sensors don’t provide enough information,” says project Director Professor John Polak, from the Centre for Transport Studies at Imperial College London. “We envisage a future where hundreds and thousands of mobile sensors are deployed across the country, to improve the way we monitor, measure and manage pollution in our urban areas."

Scientists will deploy three new types of sensors in tomorrow’s demonstration, measuring multiple types of traffic emissions and noise pollution. The team will receive data from 100 sensors deployed in South Kensington, Leicester, Gateshead and Cambridge to test how they operate from different locations.

Dr Robin North from Imperial's Department of Civil and Environmental Enginering trials a sensor

The new sensor technology means that researchers can now measure and model air quality in unprecedented detail to improve their understanding about pollution hotspots and analyse the factors such as bad urban design that contribute to poor air quality. The scientists will also model pollution clouds in 3-D, by attaching sensors to traffic lights and street lamps. They aim to understand how it forms, lingers and dissipates in high emission zones. The team hope this will lead to insights about whether, for example, poor signalling is causing traffic congestion which contributes to reduced air quality in the area.

The scientists will deploy sensors that will measure up to five traffic pollutants simultaneously including nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides. Researchers have equipped the sensors with ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy technology, which uses ultraviolet light to detect pollutants in the atmosphere. This means researchers can take air quality measurements at 5 second intervals, which is fast enough to allow deployment on moving cars and buses. These sensors will be attached to vehicles driving around South Kensington.

Another type of sensor will be attached to pedestrians and cyclists to measure the pollution that they are exposed to as they move around. These sensors are small enough to fit into a pocket and can detect car pollutants and other contaminants including carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke. The sensors utilize the wearer’s mobile phone to transmit data which enables the wearer to monitor pollution levels around them.

In addition, the team will install sensors to analyse the link between traffic congestion and levels of pollution in targeted locations such as pedestrian crossings, traffic intersections, industrial areas and motorways. These sensors will measure noise and air pollutants and use ultrasound technology, where high frequency sound is bounced off cars, to count traffic driving past. They will be located at South Kensington, Gateshead and Leicester.

The air quality measurements and the location of each mobile sensor will be tracked on Google maps.

The Mobile Environmental Sensing System Across Grid Environments (MESSAGE) initiative is led by Imperial College London and brings together internationally leading specialist research groups in the fields of e-Science, transport, sensors and communications technologies from the Universities of Cambridge, Leeds, Newcastle and Southampton.

The three year project is jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Department for Transport.

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Colin Smith
Press Officer
Imperial College London
Email: cd.smith@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 594 6712
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

*** Photos of the sensors are available ***

Notes to editors:

1. About MESSAGE

MESSAGE is a three-year research project that started in October 2006 and is funded jointly by the Engineering and Physical Research Council and the Department of Transport. The project also has the support of nineteen non-academic organisation s from public sector transport operations, commercial equipment providers, systems integrators and technology suppliers. Website: www.message-project.org

2. About the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is ranked by many international assessments as the top university in Europe, and among the very best few in the world. It is one of the world's oldest universities and leading academic centres, and a self-governed community of scholars. Cambridge comprises 31 Colleges and over 150 departments, faculties, schools and other institutions. It has strength across almost every subject, from economics and mathematics to engineering and business studies. Cambridge is home to a large cluster of high-tech businesses, especially those related to software, electronics, and biotechnology. Many of these have connections with Cambridge University, and the area is now one of the most important technology centres in Europe.

3. About the University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK with more than 30,000 students from 130 countries and a turnover of £450m. The University is a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities and the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise showed it to be the UK's eighth biggest research powerhouse. The University's vision is to secure a place among the world's top 50 by 2015.Website: www.leeds.ac.uk

The University of Leeds is home to the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), the largest department of its kind in Europe, covering all aspects of transport including road use, the economic and environmental impact of travel, safety, policy – and forecasting future demand. The Institute advises governments, local authorities and operating companies on issues such as road pricing, sustainable urban transport strategies and concessionary fares; while research carried out in busy streetscapes and close to major airports is assessing local concentrations of air and noise pollution. Website: www.its.leeds.ac.uk.

4. About the University of Southampton

The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research inst itution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.

With over 22,000 students, around 5000 staff, and an annual turnover of more than £370 million, the University of Southampton is acknowledged as one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.

The University is also home to a number of world-leading research centres, including the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Web Science Research Initiative, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, and the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute.

5. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 13,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

6. About the Newcastle University

For further information from Newcastle University please contact Louella Houldcroft, Media Relations Manager (Science, Agriculture and Engineering) on 0191 222 5108/7850 or email the press office at press.office@ncl.ac.uk .

7. The Department for Transport contributed £1.7 million to the MESSAGE project.