Succesfuldt RS-program om ansvarlig udvikling
RS etablerede i slutningen af 2021 det såkaldte #ActivistEngineering program med fokus på miljømæssig ansvarlig udvikling. Mange spændende projekter er blevet søsat (in english).
Last November, RS unveiled its DesignSpark #ActivistEngineering programme with a goal of inspiring engineers across the globe to put engineering responsibility at the heart of their product designs, using their skills to make a positive impact on the lives of people and the planet.
To kick off the programme, DesignSpark launched its first community project using the concept of ‘citizen science’ to tackle poor air quality. The ‘Air Quality’ project seeks to address the challenges of rising air pollution, in particular pollution indoors caused by airborne particles, household odours and gases, carbon dioxide, and more.
According to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), almost all (99%) of the global population breathe air that exceeds the WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants. The aim of the project is to unite the more than one million members of the DesignSpark engineering community to build and deploy a global network of portable indoor air quality monitors for the home, workplace, or other public indoor spaces and share the data collected back to the community.
To support the project, DesignSpark worked with various partners to develop a cloud-enabled open-source prototyping platform - The DesignSpark Environmental Sensor Development Kit. The kit consists of open-source hardware and code and has a set of sensor modules that plug into a Raspberry Pi single-board computer with touchscreen, and wireless connectivity to connect to the cloud.
Over the course of the year, the Air Quality project has resulted in a range of innovative ideas from across the DesignSpark engineering community, exploring different ways to monitor or improve air quality. These are just a few examples:
Good Air Canary - Too much CO2 in your workspace stifles productivity and creativity and makes you feel tired and unwell. Once the sensor detects increasing levels of CO2, the canary will alert you.
Mindful Droid – Schoolgirl Ella Kissa-Debrah died after an asthma attack linked to exposure to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The Mindful Droid school commute robot encourages drivers to be more conscious and reduce their emissions.
Breathing Dress – Based on your location, what will your lungs look like in 10 years’ time? This LED-enabled dress paints a picture of your lung health.
The Dream Lantern – We spend a third of our lives in bed. Our body releases VOCs and CO2. What if your window could automatically open and close, to balance health and comfort?
The Interactive Air Quality Map – Using sensor data to provide communities with information about the air quality in their local area, so that they can better protect themselves and work together to make improvements.
Breathe Better Bear – Is there a risk of wildfire smoke in your area? This bear will let you know. His sensors give an accurate representation of the air quality index to help people decide how much outdoor activity is healthy.
Pop-Up Particle Pavilion – This pavilion can be installed in different locations to monitor CO2 levels and provide space and indoor air quality solutions.
Smart Glacier – Are you using natural gas to heat your home in winter? CO2 is a silent killer that is colourless, tasteless and odourless. If the sensor detects CO2, the glacier will start to melt.
