Google Street View cars are starting to map air pollution
Google Street View cars are not just recording photos of the road, but are taking snapshots of the air quality around them too. Some of Google’s vehicles have been fitted air quality detectors produced by Aclima, a company that creates networks of environmental sensors. The sensors enable the vehicles to gather information on carbon dioxide, methane, black carbon, particulate matter as well as other pollutants on a block by block basis.
The initial trial was run in Denver as part of a study conducted by NASA and the EPA which focused on improving the collection of air quality data. The partnership hopes that the tests will lead to a better understanding of urban air quality. Some of the findings from this study can be found on Aclima’s website.
Source: The Verge