AIRLY
Airly, a comprehensive system for monitoring and forecasting air quality, as an effective tool supporting efforts to counteract smog
Project title
Development and implementation of effective air pollution forecasting and monitoring, based on AI techniques, using data from an extensive measurement network
Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries
Airly Sp. z o.o.
Name of programme
SMART GROWTH OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME
Competition
Fast Track
Project value
PLN 4,522,020.00
Funding value
PLN 3,399,244.50
Project delivery period
Since 2018 - pending
Meet our team
View the results of our work
What problem is addressed by the project?
Air quality is of great importance to everyone’s health. In the meantime, nine out of ten persons across the world breathes a very polluted air. The awareness of this fact is the first step towards improvement. We decided to make our contribution to this change and create a network of air sensors, a mobile app and a system for analysing the collected data. It was possible thanks to, i.a., the co-funding granted by the NCBR from European Funds.
Our project facilitates not only the monitoring of current pollution levels, but also forecasting of a situation in a given place within the upcoming 24 hours. It is possible due to data analysis with the use of algorithms and elements of artificial intelligence. The function of checking air quality forecasts is particularly important for the elderly, people suffering from respiratory tract diseases, and anyone keen on outdoor activities. We, the founders of Airly, belong to the last group. While studying at the AGH University of Science and Technology, we were preparing for the marathon in Kraków. Planning our training in a given day, we were unable to find current data on smog - those available referred to a situation from the past. We decided to change that. This is how we came up with an idea to develop a smart air quality monitoring system which would provide reliable and current data. The system developed by AIRLY consists of a network of sensors which measure the concentration of particulate matter, air temperature and humidity (real time), a web platform, a mobile app, as well as data and forecast panel.
The AIRLY project helps to address the issue of insufficient information about current air quality measurements. Thanks to the system, everyone can check the quality of air they are currently breathing, and plan their activities for subsequent days by checking our innovative forecasts. Thanks to this, the AIRLY project has been receiving positive feedback from users, and has aptly met social needs.
The AIRLY company was established a few years ago as a start-up by young scientists-enthusiasts from Kraków. It currently employs over 30 staff members, and is still growing, continuously striving towards the improvement of air quality in our country.
Who uses the project results?
We have placed over 2800 AIRLY sensors across Poland, and the app, accessible to everyone, has been downloaded over 500 thousand times.
It turns out that air pollution affects not only large cities but also small towns. Smog and air pollution currently belong to one of the most pressing issues concerning health protection in Poland. According to the survey entitled “I know what i Breathe in - Poles on smog”, conducted in November 2018 by ARC Rynek i Opinia market research institute for Aviva, 94% of Polish society noticed the smog problem, and 65% of the respondents felt that they were insufficiently informed about air quality in their towns, which proves that there is a demand for the AIRLY system. Through our operations we are constantly trying to promote the idea of improving the quality of the air we breathe, based on the assumption that knowledge, information and risk awareness are the first step towards change.
We are educating and informing people all over the world. Our air quality monitoring system has aroused interest not only in Poland but also in other countries. We have successfully conducted a campaign aimed at developing the sensor system in Romania. Thanks to our efforts, the Romanian society began to express their interest in air pollution issues. We have established successful cooperation with Romanian television which provides current data on air pollution and forecasts for the upcoming 24 hours three times a day in their news programmes. A growing number of citizens of other countries visit our pollution map, checking current situation concerning air quality and forecasts.
Our data exert a huge impact, reaching hundreds of thousand people across Poland via our intuitive app with a clear layout. Moreover, the AIRLY mobile app has a “push notification” option, providing information about exceeding permissible pollution limits. Each app user can download a widget which informs them about current air quality in favourite locations in a simple way. Thanks to this the number of people using AIRLY air quality and measurements and forecasts is growing.
Air pollution is an invisible threat to our health and well-being, and to the health and well-being of our loved ones, and therefore the monitoring and forecasts of air pollution levels are vital.
What was the greatest challenge during project implementation?
Due to the fact that the development of air quality forecasts is a major undertaking, we had to face numerous challenges along the way. The greatest and most important one was to form a well-integrated team composed of the best specialists, professors and enthusiasts of state-of-the-art solutions. We have succeeded in doing so. The next very important step and challenge was to develop a forecast, with the use of innovative methods, algorithms and artificial intelligence, which can predict air pollution with an appropriate level of accuracy. Thanks to the efforts and determination of the entire team, we can successfully face new challenges and reach further goals, thus creating the most accurate possible forecast of air quality in Poland and all over the world.
Our advice for other applicants
Before embarking on project implementation, each applicant should answer a question of what real problem is to be solved by implementing appropriate measures, and in what way the applicant's engagement will improve people’s lives. If the issue is substantiated properly, and such applicants will succeed in establishing a competent team, committed to complete their company’s mission, the results of the entire undertaking should be satisfying.