Imagine if you could locate the healthiest route for your afternoon jog, the fresh airiest one that would keep you from breathing the pollutants that cars barf out into the atmosphere. It might change every day as these pollutants move around. But you’d be ready, because you’d be wearing an air quality sensor. There’s an emerging sector of environment-tracking wearables that are already helping people keep track of where there’s the most pollution.
The shiny TZOA gadget (seen here on a shoulder strap) promises to connect users with real-time information about the surrounding air quality via an app. It’s one in a new trend of gadgets that leverages the power of cheap sensors to collect data on the environment. TZOA, like the other gadgets, focuses on measuring PM 2.5 particles, which come from polluting actions like car exhaust and construction and can lead to heart and lung disease, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function—among other problems. This problem is particularly important in China, where poor air pollution levels have led to a reported 1.2 million deaths. The Clarity, seen here, was designed with a Chinese user base in mind. In 2012 Lapka was one of the earliest environmental trackers to hit the market. The Russian company created the iPhone peripherals to measure things like air quality, radiation levels, and nitrous levels in food.
