PlanetWatch to provide hyperlocal air quality data

PlanetWatch is signing agreements with the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Hamburg to provide researchers with access to PlanetWatch’s hyperlocal air quality data. Researchers will analyze both indoor and outdoor data, with a focus on those collected during last year’s dust storm in Madrid.

Complutense University of Madrid’s tGIS Research Group will use data in the context of the Deep learning Anticipated Urban Mobility peaks (DARUMA) research project with the objective of developing and publishing a methodology to identify and predict behavioral change triggers in the context of disruptive events.

“The high spatio-temporal resolution of the data collected by PlanetWatch will allow us to analyze particular climate events and their impact on different urban dynamics, in a way that we could not have imagined years ago”
– Gustavo Romanillos, Complutense University of Madrid

The University of Hamburg will use the data and conduct additional online surveys to examine people’s indoor exposure during dust storms to understand how people avoid and mitigate extreme air pollution. By combining the observational air quality data with self-reported information, the main goal is to better understand people’s reactions and identify what is needed to reduce the damage caused by air pollution and to improve future protective measures.

Björn Bos, University of Hamburg said “The community around PlanetWatch and their air quality data enable great research opportunities. By involving sensor owners through online surveys, we can better understand how people behave during extreme air pollution events. This is important when designing policy instruments and will be relevant for many policymakers.”

According to Claudio Parrinello, CEO of PlanetWatch, partnering with universities is a cornerstone of PlanetWatch’s mission. “We are proud that the universities of Madrid and Hamburg have requested access to PlanetWatch datasets. Academic interest in our data validates our fast and cost-effective approach to deploy hyperlocal networks in partnership with local residents and businesses.”

These partnerships are a new chapter in the history of PlanetWatch’s academic collaborations. Previous collaborations with the University of Bologna in Italy have led to jointly authored research papers.

For more info, visit https://www.planetwatch.io/planetwatch-to-provide-data-universities/