EC-funded smartphone app to map air quality

The \"obsAIRve App\" is a free application for the iPhone delivering current and forecast air quality information for European citizens.Complex scientific data on the most important air pollutants (like ozone, NO2 and fine particles) are converted into an easy-to-understand air quality index showing data on maps or in diagrams.The app was developed under a contract funded by the European Commission in order to raise public awareness on the topic of air pollution and health and is part of the European GMES Programme (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security). The project involves GAF AG together with partners T-Systems, German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Umweltbundesamt (Austria) In essence, the app allows users to monitor the air quality at their home, at their work place or indeed at the destination of their planned holidays as long as the latter is in Europe. People with asthma or other types of respiratory disorders will thus be able to avoid or reduce exposure to dangerous air quality levels.In addition, users can give feedback by rating air quality at their current location. The app was released on the Apple Appstore and is now available for download.To download the application, iPhone and iPad users should go to the Appstore and search for “obsairve”. The European Commission recommends launching the application when a wifi network is available, as the first launch triggers a download of data that may otherwise take some time.The app is still at an early stage of development and may have to be updated in the near future. As in the case of other apps from the Appstore, users will be notified as soon as an update is available.

For more information visit:

www.obsairve.eu