This project addresses the challenge because it intends to monitor air conditions at indoor environments, communicating with filters and exhausters, therefore, it represents a complete solution.
Some images: Images
The challenge 8 - Purify the air supply, is the perfect synthesis within our area of knowledge and what the world needs the most right now, and that is why we chose it. Afterwards, we used the step by step from Space Apps Challenge as an approach guide to the project: they helped us to choose and discuss the central problem and list the possible solutions for it as well. Starting from our solutions ideas, we researched and found what others did to solve similar issues. Then, we converged all the ideas to solve the main problem.
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the time spent indoors, where air quality is not always satisfactory, which favors contagious diseases contamination. In the long term, the air becomes harmful and can initiate chronic breathing and ophthalmic illness, or even cancer, compromising the population’s life standard.
According to a research conducted by the website medRxiv, the chances of transmission of Covid-19 by a primary case indoors was 18.7 times bigger than outdoors. Besides, there were problems before the coronavirus related to exposure to pollutants in a closed environment. As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.8 million deaths are caused every year because of that, especially in low and middle-income countries.
Air optimization and monitoring in closed environments, such as the spacial station using Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC) technology, is an essential solution. It limits coronavirus spread, controlling the pandemic and ensuring people’s future health. Even if social distancing lasts longer, a healthier breathing can be assured, preparing the world for new pandemics.
Our project was idealized using an air monitoring system based on the sensors developed by São Paulo University (USP - Brazil), that indicates the air contamination probability, and a purifier similar to the one developed by NASA to be used at the International Space Station (ISS), that destroys the air pathogens. Also, pressure sensors can identify sudden variations in the air, which recognize coughing or sneezing, then the exhaustor would be activated, circulating the contaminated air to the purifier. A graphic interface shows, in real time, if the environment could lead to contamination or intoxication. To automate and integrate all the project components, an Artificial Intelligence like Alexa from Amazon could be used.
On KeplAir Purification System’s project, local air quality data will be fetched on NASA platform, and through artificial intelligence they will be compared to the internal environment data, captured by the KeplAir’s sensors. After comparing these data, if there is contamination probability, the system acts with its exhaustors and purifiers in order to improve the indoor air quality.
The main problems related to the project’s development were the programming of an artificial intelligence, because the members of the team didn’t have the knowledge necessary to do so. Also, the lack of resources to physically build the project was a limiting factor. Despite that, we had positive feedback from mentors, who said our project was creative and functional, being capable of improving people’s health and could help to control the increasing number of infected people due to SarsCov-2 or other viruses growth. Our team thought the project was viable and possible to be constructed with the suitable resources, once the technology involved is not completely new.
Moreover, the biggest achievement to our team was the personal growth thanks to the immersive experience of this challenge.
Our video is available on YouTube:
KeplAir by Kepleros Team: https://youtu.be/Ida9y6Pn4nU
-Spiri - USP Journal: Dispositivo monitora ar e ajuda a prevenir coronavírus em ambientes fechados (device monitors air and helps preventing coronavirus in closed environments)
-SPIRI Device: Spiri | Cuidando da qualidade do ar em ambientes fechados (watching for air quality in closed environments)
-Devices and Methods for Collection and Concentration of Air and Surface Samples of Air and Surface Samples for Improved Detection of Microbes onboard ISS: Devices and Methods
-Airocide: Home Air Purifiers Eradicate Harmful Pathogens
-Air Quality by EPA: Air Data: Air Quality Data Collected at Outdoor Monitors Across the US | US EPA
-Air Quality by NASA: Health and Air Quality Data Pathfinder | Earthdata
-World Health Organization:https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_3
-Close environments , medRxiv: Closed environments facilitate secondary transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
-Canva: https://www.canva.com/ (used for the video animations)