CONA's children-scientists get their first assignment
CONA just reached another milestone. On Friday children from Alexandra Primary School took home the first of our next generation of PACMAN air quality monitors that they helped to build.
Over the last few years we have been trying to make the PACMAN's component parts easier to assemble (and harder to get wrong). One easy way to check our progress is to ask a class of 9 to 11 years olds to see if they can build them. Back in May we tried that, albeit under a degree of time pressure. However, after only half an hour or so they had got about three-quarters of the way there. We brought the nearly-completed monitors back to the office and finished them off.
Last week we sent them back to school. After a quick video hook-up to remind the children of their instructions, 11 children used our online management form to book a unit out and take it home. At the same time they were reminded how to use our AirAware app to record some supporting data during the week - such as how their home is being heated each night, whether they can see or smell smoke, and any health symptoms they are experiencing.
This data will really come into its own when merged with the outdoor air quality data from the ODINs. Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily withdraw them for tweaks to the communications firmware, but hope to have them back very soon.
In the meantime, our children scientists were buzzing with excitement whilst no doubt curious as to what these boxes they are taking home are actually going to do. We won't find out for at least a week. Although we considered linking each device to home wifi (where it exists) we decided this was not critical right now and so are reserving that for a future upgrade. For now we have to wait until the data is manually downloaded from each device - for which we've designed a process for the children to follow. This time next week we'll know if it's all worked.
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| Children from Alexandra Primary School build their PACMAN indoor air quality monitors, helped by PACMAN's designer, Gustavo Olivares |
Over the last few years we have been trying to make the PACMAN's component parts easier to assemble (and harder to get wrong). One easy way to check our progress is to ask a class of 9 to 11 years olds to see if they can build them. Back in May we tried that, albeit under a degree of time pressure. However, after only half an hour or so they had got about three-quarters of the way there. We brought the nearly-completed monitors back to the office and finished them off.
Last week we sent them back to school. After a quick video hook-up to remind the children of their instructions, 11 children used our online management form to book a unit out and take it home. At the same time they were reminded how to use our AirAware app to record some supporting data during the week - such as how their home is being heated each night, whether they can see or smell smoke, and any health symptoms they are experiencing.
This data will really come into its own when merged with the outdoor air quality data from the ODINs. Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily withdraw them for tweaks to the communications firmware, but hope to have them back very soon.
In the meantime, our children scientists were buzzing with excitement whilst no doubt curious as to what these boxes they are taking home are actually going to do. We won't find out for at least a week. Although we considered linking each device to home wifi (where it exists) we decided this was not critical right now and so are reserving that for a future upgrade. For now we have to wait until the data is manually downloaded from each device - for which we've designed a process for the children to follow. This time next week we'll know if it's all worked.
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