CHALLENGE

How can we inform and protect people against harmful air pollutants in situ?
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How do we make solutions accessible for those in need who lack the means?

CONTEXT

The Economic Cost of Outdoor Air Pollution

According to an OECD research on the topic, air pollution-related global healthcare costs are going to increase from 21 billion USD in 2015 to 176 billion USD by 2060 if the quality of air continues to degrade at present rates. That's just the monetary cost on people. The effects on the environment are likely to be far more troubling.

Increasing pollution in the air we breath is a pressing issue affecting living beings and the planetary systems on which we all rely. It's also one that is fiendishly difficult to tackle, since the problem itself is largely invisible in our daily lives. To provide an effective solution, we need to aim at the root causes by raising awareness and empowering communities to act.

SOLUTION

Comprehensive product and service solution

Aerosphere comprises of three components which work together monitor, protect the individual, and provide information to the public via low cost displays placed in urban environments.

Wearable Sensor

A wearable, personal sensor that tracks exposure to pollutants and relays anonymized data about the air quality to public information displays in the area.

Filter Garment

Wear it and forget it. the washable air filter integrated into everyday garments provides seamless protection when and where needed. The initial product is a light looped scarf

Informative Display

Broadcast stations, electronic or mechanical displays, placed directly in the environment collect data from the sensor in realtime to provide information about local air quality to all.

EXPLORATION

From concept research to validation in 14 weeks

Working with people affected by air pollution and subject matter experts to understand the problem space, the research and development process ventured from low to high tech in order to find efficient design solutions for each component of the system.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Like all wicked problems, the issue of air pollution is a problem of dynamic complexity across scales. Singular products or services cannot solve systemic global issues, we need an ecosystem of data and information to provide insight to stakeholders across the globe to make the right decisions and act.