In 2020, researchers from Nigeria and Canada-based tech company RACETT developed environmental drones (E-drones) that can autonomously monitor and abate air pollution in real-time. This E-drones were tested mainly in a region of New Brunswick, where every hour, the drones autonomously fly to a specified altitude to measure the concentration of specific air pollutants (NO2, O3, C O, CO2, SO2, NH3, and PM) and their combined data generates an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) map for the area. If the measurements are higher than the threshold recommended by Health Canada, the E-drones automatically release chemical mixtures (such as scrubber solutions) that react with particles to create gasses and liquids. Once the solution is implemented, the drone lands and transmits the collected data to the monitoring station. The E-drone approach to air pollution may be limited because it focuses on a reactive solution to air quality, and may therefore shift focus away from preventative measures and solutions. There may also be some unintended risks or consequences of releasing chemical mixtures into the atmosphere. However, with further experimentation and as part of a larger air pollution mitigation process, E-drones may offer a fast, localized and targeted approach to reducing the health impacts of air pollution.
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Climate Change, Data, Ecological Modelling, Ecological Monitoring, Lifestyle, Monitoring, Pollution, Regulation, Visual Technologies
Air Pollution Robot
The dangers of air pollution to human health are well documented, though the traditional methodology of collecting and reporting on sample lags behind the need to keep abreast and regulate air pollution in a meaningful amount of time. The use of drones and robots have been identified by researchers as resources that can be tweaked […]
Artificial Life, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ecological Monitoring, Industry/Natural Commodities, Lifestyle, Monitoring
Telematic Rivers
Erica Kermani’s artwork seeks to answer a central question: if rivers were seeing an equal, living entity, would humans take issues like climate change threatening them more seriously? In his year-long art exhibition in 2017, Kermani, in collaboration with Diana Salcedo & Jeana Chesnik, created a new forum of interaction between humans and rivers to […]
Climate Change, Ecological Monitoring, Lifestyle, Monitoring, Pollution, Visual Technologies
Co-occupied Boundaries
Art is easily found in nature but rarely is what considered art today inherently natural. The concept of co-occupied mediums that serve to be both functional for nature and aesthetically pleasing to people is being actively explored by Asya Ilgun and Phil Ayres, from the CITAstudio at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In […]
Climate Change, Ecological Monitoring, Lifestyle, Monitoring, Pollution, Visual Technologies