Pioneers 09 – A Showcase Event

Traffic pollution hotspots could become a thing of the past

A pioneering network of sensors could make the traffic build-ups that cause pollution hotspots a thing of the past.

The ‘Pioneers 09’ showcase event on March 4th will be the first time that real-time data from the network has gone on public display. ‘Pioneers 09’ is being held at the Olympia Conference Centre in London and organised by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The first of its kind in the world, the pilot sensor network has been installed in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear to highlight the build-up of pollution hotspots.

The network has been developed by the MESSAGE (Mobile Environmental Sensing Systems Across Grid Environments) initiative, funded by the Department for Transport and EPSRC.

Examples of pollution sensors developed by MESSAGE will also be fitted around the exhibition hall at ‘Pioneers 09’, with the data they produce displayed for delegates to see. 

The Gateshead network consists of around 50 separate wireless sensors housed in small metal boxes attached to railings and lamp posts alongside major roads.

The data they collect on carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, other pollutant levels, temperature, humidity and noise levels, as well as a count of vehicle passages, is sent to a central computer server and refreshed every minute, enabling constantly updated, internet-accessible ‘pollution maps’ of the area to be compiled.
 
These groundbreaking maps enable transport system operators to act quickly to disperse traffic build-ups that are causing pollution hotspots. They also allow transport users to change their travel plans in order to limit their exposure to pollutants. A second network of these sensors is currently being deployed in Leicester to validate Newcastle University’s environmental pollution model.

Combining leading-edge sensing, computing and communication technologies, MESSAGE is developing three types of pollution sensor which are more sensitive, less obtrusive and less expensive than others currently available.

By helping to prevent or disperse dense concentrations of pollutants, sensors like these could benefit sufferers of respiratory diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis, and heart conditions. They could also aid the fight against climate change.   

Professor Phil Blythe of Newcastle University, who will be at the event, says: “The sensors we’ve deployed in Gateshead are small and low-cost. Other cities in the UK and around the world, such as New York and New Delhi, are interested in replicating what we’re doing here.”

The overall objective of MESSAGE is to devise systems that help the planning, management and control of transport-related environmental impacts. The sensors being developed can even be incorporated into mobile phones or fitted to vehicles and pedestrians.

Professor John Polak of Imperial College London, who will also be at the EPSRC event, explains: “Our ultimate goal is ‘intelligent infrastructure’ incorporating literally thousands of sensors that help cut emissions, free up congestion and deliver economic benefits too.” 

Notes for Editors

‘Pioneers 09’ aims to bring together forward-thinking researchers and business people. It is being organised by EPSRC and supported by the Confederation of British Industry.

The MESSAGE initiative is being led by Imperial College London and also involves Cambridge, Leeds, Newcastle and Southampton Universities, plus support from 19 non-academic organisations including public sector transport bodies, commercial equipment suppliers, systems integrators and technology suppliers. For more information on MESSAGE, see http://bioinf.ncl.ac.uk/message/

The SMART dust technology and implementation in Gateshead is led by the Transport group at Newcastle University. The SMART dust sensor technology has been designed by Professor Bayan Sharif and Dr Jeff Neasham based in the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering at Newcastle University and the database has been designed by Professor Paul Watson and Lakshmi Shuresh based in the NE e-Science Centre at Newcastle University.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £740 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK.

For more information, contact:

Professor John Polak, Imperial College London, Tel: 020 7594 6089, Email: j.polak@imperial.ac.uk

Professor Phil Blythe, Newcastle University, Tel: 0191 222 7935, Email: P.T.Blythe@newcastle.ac.uk

An image is available from the EPSRC Press Office, contact: 01793 444404 or e-mail: dan.stern@epsrc.ac.uk

Picture caption information:

G2 – Intelligent Transport.jpg: Traffic pollution hotspots could become a thing of the past