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VortexIOT builds scalable AI & mesh driven solutions to capture hyperlocal data that identifies air pollution enabling better insight, causal analysis, AQ compliance & control.
About
In Vortex we believe in the maxim “If you can’t measure it accurately, you can’t manage it effectively”. and this applies especially to Toxic Air that is the invisible killer. Global health warnings & regulatory pressures are mounting with over 6m premature deaths per annum due to poor air quality (AQ) according to the World Health Organization. Air pollution is storing up health problems for us all, especially for future generations & is now linked to inducing greater vulnerability to COVID19. Particulate matter (PM) is directly linked to "global dimming" and contributes to global warming. Most existing AQ monitoring stations DON'T CUT IT– with analog and legacy tech– not accurate enough, costly and high maintenance. For example in Greater London the Department of the Environment has 28 air monitoring stations but only 14 are operational for a population of nearly 9 million and 600 square miles to cover – most of the monitoring is done by statistical modelling . Existing air monitors only cover and measure their immediate geographical footprint. They are not city wide and usually NOT working continuously or in real or near-time. Our digital solution meets the compelling need to be cost-effective with lower Total Cost of Ownership, greater data accuracy and Hyperlocal by which we mean high density coverage of air monitors down to the level of Ever Lampole, Every Street, Every Hospital, Every Corner of Every School Playground – wherever needed Key areas of differentiation and competitive advantage of our end to end system include - Multi-detection capability of noxious gases and air particulates in a single monitoring device at a competitive price. - Causal Analysis - sourcing and generation of not just RAW data but with AI it provides insight into the cause and source of pollution - Our sensor devices and mesh networks are designed for rugged and harsh conditions that can be critical in heavy industry and for example in very high temperatures in the Middle East - Interoperability with 5G
Key Benefits
Ultimately at VortexIOT we aim to help Communities make their world healthier, safer and cleaner for everyone. Our hyperlocal Air Quality (AQ) monitoring system sources greater accuracy, granularity & frequency of data that identifies pollution hotspots & enables better insight, causal analysis, control, smarter decisions and M2M interaction. It is scalable, cost-effective & supports cities & industry in AQ compliance. The current fixed/mobile monitoring stations to measure air pollution are high cost, low density & using detection methods that are often chemical based requiring delayed analysis & often costly maintenance.. In urban environments with deep street canyons, high traffic densities, & low ventilation, traffic-related pollutants are spatially variable & data from current monitoring stations are poorly representative, outside their immediate geographical footprint. In harsh & hot conditions & climates in for example the Middle East existing AQ solutions have high rates of inaccuracy and failure There is a gap, in both technology and the market, for a scalable low-cost AQ monitoring solution that in real-time can continuously identify pollution hotspots, determine its causes & provide insight on how to tackle the pollution concentration. It would support better city planning, changes in building regulations, traffic control & help cities to comply with national/international AQ regulations. With more stringent government Clean Air Plans being enforced, cities and councils will face significant fines if they are not compliant as will industries contributing to the pollution. Fixed monitoring stations deployed by councils are accurate but sparsely used due to high cost (~£10k/monitor) & thus present scalability issues. Our hyperlocal AQ monitoring system is cost effective, scalable & meets the compelling need for smart cities & industry
Applications
Practical applications are for managing environmental compliance through hyperlocal air quality and pollution monitoring in smart cities, urban areas, industrial sites, oil refineries, utilities, airports & ports as well as remote condition monitoring of transport infrastructure. The mix of multi-sensor monitors, cognitive mesh network & AI driven software also has potential applications in the water & waste management industries in detecting leakage & pollution levels. Future innovative applications of the same core technology stack include methane leak detection, “surface wave” mesh network using the conductivity of metal surfaces to transmit data, detect corrosion in metal pipework & enable predictive maintenance