Couriers tool up to map London air pollution

Fifty of Gophr’s bike couriers in London will be equipped with Drayson’s CleanSpace Tags, which measure carbon monoxide levels in real time. The tags are powered by the company’s Freevolt technology that harvests residual radio frequency energy from the air, including from 4G and WiFi signals. Data from the couriers will be combined with that of other tag users and fed into the CleanSpace app’s Air Map.

“The CleanSpace network aims to provide the world’s most advanced air pollution map using thousands of personal sensors powered by Freevolt,” said Lord Drayson, founder and CEO of the company.

“This partnership brings together the combined expertise and commitment of Drayson Technologies, Gophr and Inmarsat so that people in London can see the air they breathe and help to create, not just a smart city – but a smarter society.”

The couriers will also be equipped with Inmarsat’s LoRa (Long range) trackers to provide accurate location data via satellite. Compared to mobile-based location services, fewer access points are needed to establish the position of the riders in the city, and the couriers won’t have to worry about battery drain on their mobile devices. According to Inmarsat, this is the first time its LoRa trackers will have been used for a public network in London.