Pollution project

Scientists at

 are transforming pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars into mobile wireless sensors to demonstrate new ways of measuring air quality.

The researchers hope to demonstrate how small mobile sensors could improve the way air quality in urban areas is monitored and managed.

John Polak, project director, from the Centre for Transport Studies at Imperial College London, said: 'There is a lot that we do not know about air quality in our cities and towns because the current generation of large stationary sensors do not provide enough information. We envisage a future where hundreds and thousands of mobile sensors are deployed across the country, to improve the way we monitor, measure and manage pollution in our urban areas.'

The Imperial team is deploying three new types of sensors in the demonstration, measuring multiple types of traffic emissions and noise pollution. The team will receive data from 100 sensors deployed in South Kensington, Leicester, Gateshead and Cambridge to test how they operate from different locations.