10 things AQMesh did first

2022 marked 10 years of innovation and leadership from AQMesh. To highlight the team’s experience, ongoing forward-thinking and its commitment to pushing the capabilities of small sensor systems, here is a summary of the top 10 things AQMesh developed first and refined since it commercially launched in 2012.

1. IoT connectivity using the mobile phone network: remote data for small sensor air quality monitoring

AQMesh was the first small sensor manufacturer to adopt an IoT approach, using the mobile phone network to connect with the cloud, allowing remote access of data from individual measurement points.

2. Integration of gas and PM monitoring in a single small sensor instrument

Since 2013, AQMesh pods have been able to monitor gases and particles in one instrument. The compact pods have continued to lead in terms of the wide range of measurements offered on a single unit: up to six gases out of NO, NO₂, O₃, CO, SO₂, H₂S, TVOC and CO₂ as well as PM monitoring and options for noise and wind speed/direction. Pressure, relative humidity and pod temperature are all measured as standard.

3. Mini optical particle counter, counting and sorting particles by size, for accuracy across all PM fractions

AQMesh’s in-house designed optical particle counter measures particulates PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, TPC and TSP (up to 30 microns). Its bespoke design uses a straight line between the sample inlet and bench, meaning larger particles do not settle in a bent sample path, allowing for complete capture of pollutants.

4. Pioneers of city-wide small sensor networks from Citi-Sense to the Breathe London Pilot

Initiated in 2012, AQMesh was part of the EU-funded consortium which set up a ground-breaking project to advise citizens about air quality, across eight cities, using hundreds of measurement devices. The Breathe London pilot, which ran from 2018 to 2020, and in which 100 AQMesh pods were used, was the world’s first hyperlocal monitoring network.

5. Real-time out-of-the-box accuracy with correction for environmental conditions and cross-gas effects without the need for machine learning

AQMesh’s high accuracy and performance has been achieved through years of extensive global co-location comparison trials against certified reference equipment, in all seasons, meaning AQMesh can accurately operate in the widest possible range of environments and conditions.

6. ‘Gold pod’ approach

The ‘gold pod’ approach, as originally described by the AQMesh team, involves one unit being co-located with and scaled against a maintained reference station and then moved around a network of nodes to calibrate each of the other units.

7. White reflective sunshield and insulation for temperature management

The sunshield was first added to AQMesh pods in 2013 to minimise the impact of direct sunlight on pod sensors. Various solutions were tested – for active or passive cooling – and AQMesh’s reflective shield, insulation and air flow gap was found to be most effective at minimising the challenge to temperature stability from strong, direct sunshine.

8. Promote rigorous QA/QC and offer feasible methods to achieve it

Since 2015, the AQMesh onsite reference station means each sensor has been tested through a rigorous quality control process before it leaves the UK factory.

9. CO₂ emissions profiling

AQMesh can offer incredibly high out-of-the-box accuracy (typically less than 15% uncertainty) for CO₂ monitoring. Using this reliable data, AQMesh can be used for CO₂ source apportionment.

10. Long distance scaling

The Breathe London pilot showed how pods could be traceably scaled across a city, using a novel approach pioneered by partners at the University of Cambridge.

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