Low-Cost Solution for Air Quality Monitoring: Unmanned Aerial System and Data Transmission via LoRa Protocol

Abstract

For both human health and the environment, air pollution is a serious concern. However, the available air quality monitoring networks have important limitations, such as the high implementation costs, limited portability, and considerable operational complexity. In this context, unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are emerging as a useful technological alternative due to their ability to cover large distances and access areas that are difficult or impossible for humans to reach. This article presents the development of an integrated platform that combines an unmanned aerial system (UAS) with specialized sensors to measure key parameters in relation to air quality, such as carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In addition, a web application called PTECA is developed to visualize the data gathered by the wireless sensor array in real time. The platform incorporates a system that allows real-time tracking of the UAS route and measurement values during sample collection, employing the LoRa communication protocol. This solution represents a low-cost alternative that mitigates some of the limitations of traditional monitoring networks by offering greater portability and accessibility in terms of data collection. Preliminary tests successfully demonstrate the viability of the proposed system in a controlled airspace using geofencing.