Projects
Latest/Recent projects
AirGrid: Sensor grids to map airborne particulate matter across towns and cities
To create a map of air quality across a town or city you used to have spend significant resources setting up and maintaining a sparse air quality monitoring network and then apply uncertain models which rely on emissions data you don’t usually have. But gone are the...
Go South – Finding the missing Southern Ocean Clouds
Current climate models misrepresent cloud formation over the Southern Ocean causing mismatches between models and satellite observations. These errors are important because too much sunlight reaches the ocean surface in simulations, leading to overestimates of ocean...
Mapping traffic pollution: Using cheap samplers and semi-empirical modelling to gain insight into how urban planning and design impacts exposure
The degree to which road traffic pollutes urban air varies hugely, depending how much traffic is nearby. We’ve been mapping traffic pollution in detail across all New Zealand’s towns and cities over the last decade. In doing so we’ve been refining the methods to...
DustGrid: Using low-cost sensors to help manage post-Cyclone dusts
In February 2023 floods following Cyclone Gabrielle dumped 20 million tonnes of silt across 4 productive farming valleys in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay. As recovery operations disturbed the silt dense clouds of dust posed a new hazard that lingered for months after the...
Smart Home Air Quality System – SHAQS
When it became clear that New Zealand’s successful elimination strategy was to be replaced with one of mitigation, it also became clear that we needed to understand the ventilation practices in our indoor spaces. As part of the Ministry of Health fund to improve...
The Air We Share: Helping teachers and students to improve air quality in classrooms
Many teachers know that period 3 brain fog, when the children in front of them slump their shoulders and everything seems harder. It could be stale air. Without good ventilation contaminants can build up, including other people’s breath. And that breath could contain...
West Connex
WestConnex: Using monitoring data to understand the impact of new road tunnels on local air quality Major road tunnels are designed to meet consent conditions that minimize their impact on local air quality. But how can communities be assured they are meeting these...
Community air action (Gore/Milton)
Community Air Action: Air quality solutions for homes and communities, and the means to evaluate them Putting another log on the fire keeps many New Zealanders warm on winter nights. But the smoke it creates pollutes many of our towns, causing regular breaches of...
Clearing the air
Clearing The Air: Helping managers of small businesses and community facilities to improve ventilation Gyms, churches, clinics, daycares, libraries. They all need to ensure safe and healthy air for staff, customers and visitors. But how? Many smaller buildings don’t...