Web3 Sensors Track Air Quality on the Hippie Island of Koh Phangan

The devices called «Altruist» will monitor data related to noise, dust, humidity, pressure, and temperature of the surrounding environment, later uploading this information to a decentralized storage system.

Koh Phangan, also known as the hippie island, is famous for its Full Moon Parties held every month. According to Longshakov, every time an event concludes, mountains of trash are left behind, which are burned on-site in tanks, releasing a foul odor across the island.

“I want to observe the correlation via sensors between the lunar calendar, the days immediately following the Full Moon Party, and the increase in particulate matter in the air,” he shared.

In the future, the Robonomics team plans to deploy three more devices in various locations around the island. The data they gather will be enough to analyze how trash management affects Koh Phangan. Ultimately, this will contribute to improving the quality of life in the region.

The open sensor network operates on a principle akin to how validators in Ethereum or Polkadot networks reconcile information about new blocks. Anyone can send data from a sensor to the sensor map by copying a code and launching their own relay nodes.

Robonomics focuses on individual usage of the devices and aims to create an open dataset concerning air quality, weather phenomena, and noise levels.

«I’ve personally compared sensor readings at the beginning in Tolyatti and now in Cyprus, and found that measurements vary significantly across different parts of the continent — each area has its own microclimate in terms of humidity and temperature. Data collected from all devices is automatically sent to our map, sensors.social, with records stored on the public Robonomics blockchain based on Polkadot. This data cannot be altered or deleted,” Longshakov explained.

The DevKit version of the Altruist, equipped with an outdoor monitor, currently costs $100 and can be shipped globally. Overall, around 90 of these devices are in operation at present.

This summer, the Robonomics team plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo, where they will present a certified product that includes an indoor monitor for measuring indoor air quality. Its price is expected to range from $200 to $300. In the fall, the developers are preparing to launch on Amazon.

Setting up a sensor doesn’t require government approval, but data from these sensors is not legally valid for use in court.

«We provide surface-level screening. If a user detects a significant anomaly in the number of airborne particles, they should contact a relevant monitoring agency capable of air profiling. Our sensor will assist in identifying the optimal times for doing so,” Longshakov noted.

For more insights into Robonomics and its products, tune into the latest episode of the ‘Podcast Society’ featuring Sergey Longshakov.

Recall that in April, American Bitcoin miners were accused of polluting the air with micro-particles.