The aim of the Quasimodo project was to improve the indoor air quality of households and create a personalised air quality warning system.
Many city dwellers would like to know more about air quality and its impact on their everyday lives. The fact is that the quality of indoor and outdoor air has significant impacts on people’s well-being, particularly those with respiratory illnesses. The application developed in the Quasimodo project can be used to check when you should keep your windows shut so as not to increase the amount of particulate matter indoors, for example.
Improving everyday life with IoT and open data
Everyone can affect the quality of indoor air through their own choices. The Philips air purifier used in the project measures the levels of particulate matter and VOCs in indoor air. The air purifier can detect the impact of things like cooking, candles, dust or pets on the air quality of the home.
The Quasimodo project, made possible by EIT Digital, created a digital air quality warning system for monitoring air quality, which models outdoor air quality with the help of open data and IoT sensors. The accompanying mobile application allows users to monitor indoor and outdoor air quality in real time and also provides an air quality forecast for the next few hours. Utilising artificial intelligence, the system helps users to better understand air quality and the factors contributing to it.
Piloting in Jätkäsaari
In the summer of 2019, the homes of 20 residents of Jätkäsaari were outfitted with the project’s Philips air purifiers and air quality sensors. With the accompanying mobile application, the participating residents were able to monitor both the indoor air quality of their homes and the outdoor air quality of their residential area. The application can warn users of the increase in particulate matter caused by afternoon traffic, for example. The aim of the pilot was to collect air quality data and user experiences for the further development of the application.
In addition to Jätkäsaari in Helsinki, the digital air quality warning system was piloted in London and in Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The Helsinki sub-project was coordinated by Forum Virium Helsinki. The other project partners are Philips, Achmea Insurance and IMEC NL from the Netherlands and U College London and Public Health England from the United Kingdom.
The project had a total budget of EUR 1.1 million, of which Forum Virium Helsinki’s share was EUR 230,000. The project is supported and funded by EIT Digital in Helsinki, with co- financing from the City of Helsinki. The project ran until the end of 2019.
Quasimodo was a part of Forum Virium Helsinki’s IoT programme, the aim of which is to develop ways of collecting and utilising data and promote the building of an open and modular IoT ecosystem in collaboration with the City, companies and other actors.
Further information
Silja Peltonen
#EITdigital #wellbeing #bgreen
Mobile: +358 40 742 6360
silja.peltonen(at)forumvirium.fi