Environmental sensor solutions - Improving urban roadside air quality through data-driven decisions

Many governments and councils around the world have targets to reduce emissions and improve the air quality of their towns and cities.

To make effective changes, they first need insight into current activity to identify what pollutants are in the air, and when, where and how much of these are being released. One street-lighting manufacturer sought to add sensors and wireless technology to their products, so they could help authorities make intelligent decisions.

Already working with us on wireless solutions, the manufacturer knew they wanted to measure the air quality, including CO2, VOC and NOX gasses, as well as temperature and humidity. By collecting reliable data 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and sharing this with researchers, authorities could make essential changes to traffic flow.

However, to bring their idea to market, the customer needed to overcome several challenges. The sensors had to be robust to reliably operate in all weather conditions. They also needed to strike the right balance between price and performance, to deliver an accurate and cost-effective solution.

Robust sensors were fundamental to future strategy

Many of the solutions considered by the customer offered ultra-high levels of accuracy, far greater than the application would ever need, but the associated costs would have made the project financially unviable.

Gaining a specific set of customer requirements, we recommended a series of solutions for the application and worked with our partner supplier Cubic to optimise several types of CO2 , VOC and NOX sensors, modifying standard products to create new modules for the specific gas analysis. We supported the customer throughout the design phase as an extension of their engineering team, providing technical advice and expertise.

The design is currently going through its final phases, with more sensor technologies now integrated into the design. Once implemented, the relevant bodies will be able to use the data to identify trends and start combatting the impact and causes of poor air quality, intelligently implementing changes that will create cleaner towns and cities.

Turning great ideas into a customer success

Using our specialist technology portfolio and a pan-European team of technical experts, we have enabled thousands of designs to be realised, pushing many sectors and markets to new boundaries. The most important thing for us is to work with you to find the right solution for your requirements.

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