The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking a ground-level air-quality monitoring device to measure wildland fire pollutants including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulates, in a small, easy-to-use unit capable of data storage and data viewing. As more frequent wildfires are expected to occur near populated areas, air-quality monitoring will be more persistent. To address the EPAs need, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (ISI) proposes to develop a new Remote Air Quality Reporting (RAQR) system, capable of reporting air quality data through a robust meshed network of small, low-cost nodes. The RAQR system is based on ISIs existing TRL-7/TRL-8 remote meshed sensor technology that can harvest solar power and communicate through radio, cellular, or Iridium, coupled with a new innovative, compact air-quality sensor suite. As RAQR is small, simple to set up, and does not require hardline power, it will enable the end-user to deploy a robust network of air-quality sensors rapidly and at low cost. In Phase I, ISI will demonstrate the feasibility of RAQR with a functional prototype capable of reporting air-quality data wirelessly, reaching TRL-4. In Phase II, ISI will refine the RAQR system design and fabricate multiple prototypes for end-user evaluation, leading to a TRL-7 device.
