AirKit

A toolkit to support citizens in monitoring air quality.

AirKit is a citizen-sensing toolkit that allows participants to undertake air-quality monitoring, from setting up an air quality study to building and using sensors, and undertaking data analysis and making proposals for action.

While many air-quality monitoring projects focus on technical innovation, the Citizen Sense research team has developed AirKit to facilitate social, environmental, and technical inventiveness. The toolkit focuses on strengthening connections to ongoing environmental projects, supporting communities to set up air quality projects, and mobilizing citizen data to build less polluting environments.

The AirKit toolkit includes four components: 1) an AirKit Logbook with instructions for setting up an air-quality study; 2) a Dustbox 2.0 monitor for sensing particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), 3) an Airsift platform for analyzing citizen data, and 4) a Data Stories tool for narrating and communicating findings and proposals for action.

AirKit builds upon prior Citizen Sense research. This ongoing study investigates the role of low-cost and digital monitoring technologies in facilitating and organising new types of environmental engagement.

Explore AirKit.

Citizen Sense is led by Professor Jennifer Gabrys and is part of the Planetary Praxis research group based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.