Citizen Science: Enabling Participatory Urbanism

Paul Aoki, R.J. Honicky, Alan Mainwaring, Chris Myers, Eric Paulos, Sushmita Subramanian, and Allison WoodruffDemonstartion Submission UbiComp, September 2008 (to appear)

Motivation

• Mobile phone usage – communication tool > networked mobile personal

measurement instrument

• Real-time environmental data

• Mobile phone can sense and tell us what?

Look around you right now

Were pesticides used on these fruits?

Is the noise level safe here? 

Is this water safe to drink?

How healthy is the air I'm breathing ?

How hot is it?

Motivation

• Temperature, humidity, AQI (averaging)

• Real-time pollen counts

• Own actual decibel measurements

Introduction

• Facts about our future mobile phones:– more sensing and processing capabilities – contribute and collective

• data collector

Study 1: Perceptions Of Air Quality

• People's perceptions of air quality• 12 residents (9M/3F 23-56 years old) • Several insights

• None of the participants had a clear understanding

• don't trust the government •

Study 1: Perceptions Of Air Quality

• Ergo: Air Quality On-the-Go

Air Quality Index Bakersfield, CACurrently @3:00 PM = 47 (GOOD) Ozone6/4: 95 (MODERATE) Ozone6/5: 124 (UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE PEOPLE) Ozone

Study 2: Air Quality Sensing Field Study • 7 taxi drivers and 3 students in Accra

For Taxi For student

GPS logger

carbon monoxide sensor

Study 2: Air Quality Sensing Field Study

Research Prototype Platforms

• TI MSP430 microcontroller

• carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and ozone (O3) gas sensors as well as temperature, relative humidity, and motion (3D accelerometer) sensors

Research Prototype Platforms GOIN' MOBILE: THE STREET SWEEPER

DEPLOYMENT' GOIN '

Street Sweeper gas sensor board, a fan

main board and a mobile phone

Research Prototype Platforms

AQI

Air Quality Index(AQI) Values

Levels of Health Concern

Colors

When the AQIis in this range:

...air quality conditions are:

...as symbolizedby this color:

0 to 50 Good Green

51 to 100 Moderate Yellow

101 to 150 Unhealthy forSensitive Groups

Orange

151 to 200 Unhealthy Red

201 to 300 Very Unhealthy Purple

301 to 500 Hazardous Maroon

sketched

• Bluetooth headsets

• Interacting With Air Quality Measurements

Interacting With Air Quality Measurements

Interacting With Air Quality Measurements

Interacting With Air Quality Measurements

Conclusion• Communication tool to that of a sensor rich personal measurement instrum

ent

• citizen science