Air quality sensors deployed for smart highways and transportation system in UK

EarthSense is working with Siemens Mobility, to deploy a network of ZephyrS air quality sensors for the UK’s Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport’s (ADEPT) SMART Places Live Labs programme.

Siemens Mobility is using six EarthSense ZephyrS air quality sensors in conjunction with connected vehicles and communications infrastructure as part of the ADEPT Smart Places Live Labs programme.

The programme develops ways to integrate smart communications technology with established infrastructure and air quality data, providing a multi-modal view of real-time traffic movement from areas across the Thames Valley, including the towns of Thatcham, Reading and Wokingham. Combined data will help to optimise traffic flow, congestion issues, road surfaces and transport-related air quality problems.

Measured ZephyrS data will be analysed through the EarthSense MyAir® web app and Siemens Mobility Stratos traffic management applications to produce public health exposure models to aid and inform transportation, environmental and planning projects and strategies throughout the region.

ZephyrS air quality sensors provide partners with real-time data for ambient air pollutants including nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, and temperature and humidity. Measured data allows partners to understand how vehicle emissions impact air quality and develop informed solutions towards clean air.

To identify optimal locations for the next group of sensors, EarthSense is working with Siemens Mobility by contributing to project workshops and providing air quality modelling from EarthSense’s MappAir® high resolution air quality modelling.

EarthSense Managing Director, Tom Hall said: “Real time air pollution measurements are essential for making quick judgments to implement informed initiatives to ensure pollution levels stay within safe guidelines, and public health is an aspect that needs to be constantly monitored and improved.”

Hall continues: “We modified traditional Zephyr® sensors for our partners Siemens Mobility by removing the internal battery compartment of units, making for a smaller sensor that can be hardwired and deployed on to traffic signal infrastructure, and named it the ZephyrS. By developing the ZephyrS, Siemens Mobility can effortlessly collate pollution data from across the Thames Valley with an even more compact and discreet air quality sensor.”

Wilke Reints, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility’s Intelligent Traffic Systems business in the UK, said: “The Live Labs phase is a really exciting part of the ADEPT Programme, providing local highways authorities and their partners with the opportunity to innovate, test and introduce new applications for emerging smart technologies. Poor air quality in towns and cities is an ever-increasing problem, with road transport contributing significantly to urban pollution. By fully integrating our ZephyrS air quality sensor with other traffic data, authorities are able to make meaningful and timely interventions through our Stratos traffic management system, implementing strategies based on reliable pollution data and prevailing air quality levels.”

The ADEPT SMART Places Live Labs programme is a two-year £22.9million project funded by the Department for Transport and supported by project partners SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business, EY, Kier, O2, Ringway and WSP. Local authorities are working on eight projects to introduce digital innovation across smart mobility, transport, highways maintenance, data, energy and communications. Live Labs is part of ADEPT’s SMART Places programme to support the use of digital technology in place-based services.