This Startup Repurposes Android Smartphones to Measure Air Quality: Here's How It Works

Smartphones are not just capturing stunning photos; they're now equipped to safeguard your well-being. For instance, it can act as an air-monitoring tool so you can see if the air that you're breathing is healthy or not.

A startup named MobilePhysics is revolutionizing the use of Android smartphone sensors to measure air quality, providing users with real-time insights into their environment.

MobilePhysics Unveils Air-Monitoring Technology

Venturing beyond conventional smartphone capabilities, MobilePhysics introduces cutting-edge air-monitoring technology embedded in Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

This innovative solution, branded as Mobile Physics, allows phone manufacturers to integrate the technology into their devices, offering users a preinstalled app for easy access.

Mission for Global Well-Being

MobilePhysics, spearheaded by Chairman and Nobel Prize winner Roger Kornberg, is on a mission to democratize air-quality monitoring. The technology focuses on measuring PM2.5 pollutant particles, providing passive assessments as users engage with their phones.

Kornberg emphasizes the global significance, stating that 99% of the world's population breathes air exceeding WHO standards, making this innovation highly impactful.

Comprehensive Environmental Insights

Similar to Apple's utilization of sensors in the Apple Watch for health metrics, MobilePhysics harnesses smartphone sensors and cameras to analyze environmental factors such as air quality, smoke levels, ultraviolet exposure, and temperature.

According to CNET, these scans operate seamlessly in the background, even when the phone is in a pocket, ensuring constant monitoring without user intervention.

Proactive Safety Notifications

MobilePhysics takes user safety a step further by providing real-time notifications. From advising users to seek cover after prolonged sun exposure to suggesting actions like opening a window or activating an air purifier for improved air quality, the app actively looks out for the well-being of smartphone owners.

The smoke monitor can even operate overnight, ensuring a vigilant scan for potential dangers while users sleep.

Although no smartphones currently come preinstalled with MobilePhysics, successful testing has been conducted on the Google Pixel 8 and Xiaomi 11 Ultra. These devices, equipped with the necessary sensors, demonstrate the feasibility of running the air-scanning technology.

Edge AI and Future Developments

While not directly tapping into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's on-device generative AI capabilities, MobilePhysics looks toward enhanced edge AI implementations. The incorporation of more sensors and cameras in smartphones aligns with MobilePhysics' vision, broadening the scope of measurable parameters and refining result accuracy.

Crucial Step Towards Air Quality Awareness

Kornberg says that the world needs the urgency to address poor air quality globally, emphasizing that the dangers are pervasive, even in seemingly unpolluted areas.

MobilePhysics, he asserts, is a significant stride towards tackling this critical issue. The technology not only serves as a preventive measure but also raises awareness about the severity of air quality concerns that demand immediate attention.