30 uRADMonitor devices shipped to France and Thailand for a new edition of the AIRPARIF challenge. Airparif is a French non-profit organization dedicated to improving air quality. The Microsensors Challenge is a competition organized by Airparif that aims to encourage the development of innovative microsensors for monitoring air pollution. The competition is open to individuals, companies, and organizations and rewards the most promising new technologies for measuring air pollution at the local level. The goal is to improve understanding and control of air pollution, with a focus on providing accurate and accessible information to citizens.

The previous AIRLAB Challenge 2021 Edition brought together a huge international community focused on air quality. AIRLAB tested an impressive number of 58 solutions manufactured by 33 companies accepted in the program. Airparif’s metrology laboratory, in collaboration with Atmo Hauts-de-France evaluated the solutions through an exhaustive testing program of more than 20 evaluation points.

 uRADMonitor AIR won the “Citizen Air Award” and uRADMonitor SMOGGIE, the compact #opensource monitor got the “Outdoor Air Awareness Award” , presented by Karine de FREMONT, Director of the Urban Transition and Mobility Department AFD – Agence Française de Développement.

The 4th AIRLAB Microsensors Challenge 2023

Now in its fourth edition, the competition proposes to investigate the impact of new parameters on microsensors. Also the testing is extended to include a wider list of tracked gases. For us here at uRADMonitor this is amazing news because we have a vast portfolio of multi-parameter sensors and now there is this excellent chance to have more evaluation data on the lesser known parameters, such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other gases. Traditionally , people tend to look more at Particulate Matter also due to the ease of measurements and availability of sensor solutions and various gases are left aside. This doesn’t mean the impact of these other parameters is negligible, on the contrary. Of course, testing so many parameters will be a difficult task so AIRLAB’s initiative is both welcome but also a tremendous mission.

Three testing locations including tropical climate testing

The candidates will undergo testing on several categories, including both indoor and outdoor, fixed and mobile but also accuracy categories that include awareness (informative) and monitoring (very high requirements). In total there are 3 main classes: Outdoor Air, Indoor Air and Citizen Air.

For the 2023 of the Microsensors Challenge, AIRPARIF proposes to investigate the impact of new parameters on microsensors’ performance, and more specifically: higher pollution levels; different emissions profiles; and different weather conditions, especially higher temperatures and humidity. In that regard, Thailand has been identified as a country meeting all these criteria. The outdoor and indoor test sites are two separate locations in France.

uRADMonitor participation to the Microsensors Challenge 2023

In total 30 uRADMonitor devices have been shipped for this 4th Edition, both to France and Thailand.

The devices include our multi-parameter products like the successful “uRADMonitor MODEL A3” and the “uRADMonitor CITY” but also our dedicated solutions for particulate matter – the “uRADMonitor SMOGGIE“, for carbon dioxide the “uRADMonitor SMOGGIE-CO2” and for carbon monoxide “uRADMonitor SMOGGIE-GAS-CO“.

These devices come with several improvements. First, all hardware of all these products, was updated to a newer iteration with various improvements. Second, all devices are elements-proof (sun, rain, snow), for example the uRADMonitor MODEL A3 comes with the new Stevenson Shield made out of ASA Plastic, suited for outdoor use and prolonged UV exposure. Finally, given the new testing ground in Thailand, an interesting innovation was added to the uRADMonitor SMOGGIE specifically designed for the AIRLAB 2023 Competition: an embedded air heater that raises temperature to about 80 degrees in order to regulate humidity before it reaches the sensing elements and normalise particulate matter readings:

This clever approach improves the SMOGGIE particulate matter response during cold months, were low temperatures and humidity can lead to the formation of atomised water that induces false positives on optical sensor readings. The new variant is called SMOGGIE-PM-HEAT and will soon become available in our shop. It was specifically designed for the AIRLAB testing in Thailand and despite the technical complexity manages to keep the compact shape by a clever air path design:

uRADMonitor prides itself on innovative technical solutions that improve the performance of its own products and differentiate them from the competition. We look forward to the results of this competition.