Environmental Tracking for Healthy Mobility

Abstract

Environmental stressors in city traffic are a relevant health threat to urban cyclists and pedestrians. These stressors are multifaceted and include noise pollution, heat, and air pollution such as particulate matter. In the present chapter, we describe the use of wearable sensors carried by volunteers to capture their exposure to environmental stressors on their everyday routes. These wearable sensors are becoming increasingly important to capture the spatial and temporal distribution of environmental factors in the city. They also offer the unique opportunity to provide individualized feedback to the person wearing the sensor as well as possibilities to visualize different stressors in their temporal and spatial distribution in a virtual reality environment. We used the option of providing individualized feedback on personal exposure levels in two randomized controlled field studies. In these experiments, we studied the psychological health-related outcomes of carrying a wearable sensor and receiving feedback on one’s individual exposure levels.