urban environments Archives

Urban Drone Operation: How wind in cities could affect air taxis of the future

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Dr Abdulghani Mohamed studies gusts encountered by flying vehicles such as drones or air taxis in proximity to buildings.

In cities, many companies are now considering urban air mobility vehicles, from drones for parcel delivery to air taxis for travel. However, gusts of air, especially around buildings, can create pockets of wind with different properties, which could cause areas of turbulence and affect the stability of the aircraft. A research team led by Dr Abdulghani Mohamed, senior lecturer at […]

Antilope: A low-cost portable sensor system for air quality monitoring

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Antilope is a low-cost portable sensor system for air quality monitoring

Monitoring air quality and assessing personal pollutant exposure in urban settings remain challenging tasks in atmospheric science. As part of this monitoring, low-cost sensors have become increasingly available. This allows makers to assemble their own air quality stations according to online instructions, and institutions to multiply the number of measurement points. However, most of these commercial devices suffer from limitations […]

De-icing salt contamination of trees in urban environments

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Street trees and other greenery counteract pollution and provide important ecosystem services in urban environments. That this valuable vegetation is under stress has emerged as a research and urbanisation issue. Pierre Vollenweider is based at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research which is concerned with the use, development and protection of natural and urban spaces. Together […]