A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Tirupati have developed an android- based mobile app to help the use ‘see’ air pollution levels in their surroundings.

With a view to spreading awareness around air pollution, the app, known as, ‘AiR- Pollution Visualiser’ has been developed by the Research in Intelligent Software and Human Analytics (RISHA) Lab, led by Dr Sridhar Chimalakonda and Professor Suresh Jain. The team also included Noble Saji Mathews, a chemical engineering student.

Dr Chimalakonda is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Tirupati, while Professor Jain is with their Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The app uses Augmented Reality (AR) to provide an interactive and live (nearby station) experience of air pollutants, claims the institute.

The app takes pollution data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and visualizes various air pollutants present in the locality through GPS in the user’s surroundings. It also creates awareness in an interactive manner about different pollutants, sources and their impact on health. The app allows the user to view air pollutants across 130 Indian stations. 

The team has also submitted a research paper based on their findings while developing the app.

The app is available on Google Play Store; however, it only works on AR Core-supported devices.

Earlier, IIT Tirupati had created a mobile-based game to raise awareness about the pandemic. The app, known as Survivor COVID-19, was also developed in the RISHA Lab.