The Android smartphone app, AirCasting, measures noise and air pollution and allows users to monitor their biometric responses to their physical environment.
The app connects via bluetooth to the AirCasting Air Monitor (ACAM), an external piece of hardware that offers readings of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, temperature, and relative humidity (you can build your own ACAM using these DIY instructions). Once connected, the ACAM will start relaying information about air quality to the user’s phone with the data subsequently plotted on crowd maps for other users to access.
The app is designed to work with the Zephyr HxM or Zephyr BioHarness 3 (wearable biometric-measuring gadgets) to measure key physiological responses to differences in air quality and noise level, such as heart rate, heart rate variability, activity level, breathing rate and core temperature measurements, meaning you can check what effect air quality and noise pollution has on your day-to-day wellbeing.
Oh and of you really want to take it to the limit with this app, there are even instructions on how to build your own luminescent vest or cap with LED lights which change colour based on the data intensity levels being streamed to the app from the ACAM (green for low intensity, then yellow, orange and eventually red for high intensity), eliminating the need to constantly check your phone’s screen for changes in data.
Find out all about AirCasting here.
