# AiR -- An Augmented Reality Application for Visualizing Air Pollution

**Authors:** Noble Saji Mathews, Sridhar Chimalakonda, Suresh Jain  
**arXiv:** [2006.02136](https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.02136)  
**Date:** 2020-06-03  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/2006.02136v1/

## Key points

- Air pollution is a growing concern globally, with governments taking measures to reduce it
- Public support and awareness are crucial for the success of these programs
- AiR is an Android-based mobile application that visualizes air quality using Augmented Reality techniques
- The app considers air quality measured by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in a locality detected by user's GPS or in a locality of their choice and visualizes various air pollutants present in the surroundings
- Pollutants include PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃ & NH₃
- The app creates awareness about different pollutants' sources and their impacts on health
- Features a live layout that allows users to view real-time data on pollutant concentrations and current air quality levels color-coded for easy understanding
- Detailed info panel displays individual pollutant concern levels and breakpoints for good levels
- Users can access historical data through a calendar-like button that loads data from multiple dates over past months
- Location override feature enables users to compare previous location's air quality with current one
- AiR aims to overcome knowledge barriers to pro-environmental behavior by immersing users into an interactive AR simulated environment that helps them understand pollution trends better
- AiR nudges users towards making responsible decisions and keeping the atmosphere clean
- AiR stands out due to its use of Augmented Reality technology that provides engaging multi-perspective visualizations of air pollution analysis
- AiR could be useful for millennials and other users to visually understand the state of their environment and make pro-environmental decisions more effectively

## Summary

Air pollution is a growing concern across the globe, with governments taking various measures to reduce it. However, public support and awareness are crucial for the success of these programs. To address this issue, AiR, an Android-based mobile application has been developed that visualizes air quality using Augmented Reality techniques. It considers the air quality measured by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in a locality detected by the user's GPS or in a locality of their choice and visualizes various air pollutants present in the surroundings. The pollutants include PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃ & NH₃. The app also creates awareness about different pollutants' sources and their impacts on health. The app features a live layout that allows users to view real-time data on pollutant concentrations and current air quality levels color-coded for easy understanding. A detailed info panel displays individual pollutant concern levels and breakpoints for good levels. Users can also access historical data through a calendar-like button that loads data from multiple dates over past months. The location override feature enables users to compare their previous location's air quality with their current one. The app aims to overcome knowledge barriers to pro-environmental behavior by immersing users into an interactive AR simulated environment that helps them understand pollution trends in their cities and surroundings better. By drawing attention to pollution data trends, AiR nudges users towards making responsible decisions and keeping the atmosphere clean. Previous attempts at developing visualizable air quality metrics have focused on presenting health impacts or representing data in ways easy for the general public to understand; however AiR stands out due to its use of Augmented Reality technology that provides engaging multi-perspective visualizations of air pollution analysis. In conclusion, AiR could be useful for millennials and other users to visually understand the state of their environment and make pro-environmental decisions more effectively. The app's ability to show trends in air pollution metrics can help people realize the urgency of taking pro-environmental decisions that ensure a healthy future for all citizens around the world.