Design and Development of a New Cost-Effective Internet of Things Sensor Platform for Air Quality Measurements

In the present paper, a new, low cost, compact and modular Internet of Things (IoT) platform for air quality monitoring in urban areas is presented. This platform comprises dedicated low cost, low power, hardware and the associated embedded software that enables measurement of particles (PM2.5 and PM10), NO, CO, CO2 and O3 concentration in the air, along with relative temperature and humidity. This integrated platform acts as part of a greater air pollution data collecting wireless network that is able to monitor the air quality in various regions and neighborhoods of an urban area, by providing sensors measurements at a high rate that reaches up to one sample per second. It is therefore suitable for Big Data analysis applications such as air quality forecasts, weather forecasts and traffic prediction. The first real world test for the newly developed platform took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, where multiple devices were installed in various buildings in the city. Preliminary results from the pilot testing period are provided with focus on COVID-19 impact on air quality.