Video: 3-D Printing a HabitatMap for Humanity
The Airbeam wearable pollution-monitoring device. Aircasting.org
A new way to monitor pollution.
What do you get when you combine open data, 3-D printing and the Internet of things? One possibility is the Airbeam.
Airbeam is a small Arduino-powered wearable device that clips to a purse or a backpack and monitors fine particulate matter to accurately detect air quality in real time. The Airbeam reports this data to the Aircasting.org network, run by the nonprofit HabitatMap, which then visualizes the data in heat maps and graphs to create environmental change, which you can access on your smartphone.
Those who choose to participate can access open source 3-D printing plans to make their own Airbeam monitoring device.
"Everything we build, from hardware to software, has been open source," said Michael Heimbinder, Airbeam and Aircasting lead developer. "The possibilities for expanding the Aircasting platform are truly limitless. Because we're not here to tell you what to do with the technology; we're here to tell you about the Airbeam and Aircasting in hopes of igniting your imaginations."
To learn more about the Airbeam, check out the video below, from Socrata's Open Data TV: