Carnegie Mellon University

photo of Speck monitor device

Speck Monitors: Pittsburgh Air Quality Empowerment Lending Library

Air quality is a growing concern in the 21st century. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is particularly harmful to our health and quality of life. This team aims to investigate how citizens can be empowered to understand sources of PM2.5 in their homes and take steps to improve the air they breathe.

The project provides Pittsburgh residents with access to Speck air quality monitors through their local libraries, supports citizens’ air quality explorations through discussions with air quality experts and community advocates, and evaluates how these interventions impact community engagement and empowerment around air quality issues.

STATUS: Currently Speck Sensors are available for check out at 14 different Carnegie Libraries across Pittsburgh. The team will also be holding community meetings, learning about individual experiences with the sensor, as well as looking at future expansion areas.

In addition to Speck Sensors in libraries across Pittsburgh, monitors will now be available to 100 libraries throughout the country. Click here to learn more about the library expansion.

WEBSITE: https://www.specksensor.com/

PARTNERS:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

City of Pittsburgh

FACULTY:

Mary Beatrice Dias (Co-PI)
Project Director, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
beadias@cmu.edu

Gabrielle Wong-Parodi (Co-PI)
Assistant Research Professor, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
gwongpar@cmu.edu

Michael Taylor
Ph.D. Student, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
mdtaylor@andrew.cmu.edu