GASP: Geolocated Allergen Sensing Platform

This project combines Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and gigabit networks to address major health concerns due to air pollution. A wide range of health outcomes are affected by air pollution. In March 2014 the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report that in 2012 alone, a staggering 7 million people died as a result of air pollution exposure, one in eight of the total global deaths. A major component of this pollution is airborne particulate matter. Approximately 50 million Americans have allergic diseases. Airborne particulate matter particularly affects the citizens of Chattanooga, TN. The objectives of this project are twofold: First, to develop and deploy an array of Internet of Things (IoT) in-situ sensors within Chattanooga comprehensively characterizing air quality in real time streaming location, temperature, pressure, humidity, the abundance of airborne particulates (10-40 µm) both pollen-sized and smaller PM2.5 (<2.5 µm) particles. Second, to have a pollen validation campaign deploying an in-situ pollen air sampler in Chattanooga to identify specific pollen types.

The project has already developed, and field tested the first integrated Internet of Things (IoT) in-situ sensor package tracking pollution and pollen to provide airborne particulate mapping for Chattanooga. We are currently constructing the remaining sensors for deployment over the next year. This NSF funding prompted support from Earth day Texas for ten additional sensors to be deployed at DFW area schools, and ten sensors for a smart campus deployment at UT Dallas.

Press coverage includes:

• Dallas Morning News Article
• Government Computer News has featured our Smart Cities project in an article entitled “Fighting asthma with data.”