# Brown CSCI 1951T In-Class Activity

## Air Pollution Data Visualizations and Storytelling UX:
*In-class Exercise: 30 minutes*

## Instructions:
1) Break down into groups *(1 minute)*
2) Your column is the technology you're going to explore first.
3) Spend 8 minutes on your current activity
4) Rotate to the next activity (1 to the right in the chart below)
5) Spend 8 minutes on your next activity
6) Rotate to the next activity
7) Spend 8 minutes on your last activity
8) Spend any remain minutes discussing what you've learned.

::: success
Upload your screen caputures and fill in this exit ticket after today's class: https://forms.gle/vv78gxdbJE2vM935A
:::

## Group Breakdown:
The purpose of splitting up into groups is so that you can help each other by collaborating as well as staying as efficient as possible. Help your group if they have technical issues or if they need to borrow your VR Headset while theirs loads on a particular task.

Please discuss discussion questions with your group members!

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Hardware</th>
<th>VideoVR</th>
<th>VR Software</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Camilo</td>
<td>Vincent</td>
<td>Liza</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yuanbo</td>
<td>Ashley</td>
<td>Mohammed</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brian</td>
<td>Yifei</td>
<td>Austin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dave</td>
<td>Lexi</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Exploring Air Pollution Hardware & Data Collection

Educate yourself on ongoing Brown research organizations on Air Pollution Hardware Data Collection **(3 minutes)**:

Breathe Providence is a community-focused network of low-cost air monitors in Providence, Rhode Island. The monitors continuously measure concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM), alongside meteorological conditions.

:::info
::: spoiler More info about Breathe Providence:

- The organization is led by Professor Meredith Hastings, the Deputy Director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Professor of Environment and Society and Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences.
- Breathe Providence is funded by the Clean Air Fund.

Articles you may want to check out in your free time:
- https://ibes.brown.edu/news/2022-09-09/breatheprov
- https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2022/11/brown-study-breathe-providence-monitors-local-air-quality
:::

The Map below is the data collected today:


Explore the inner workings of a City-Air Kit and BEACO2N (5 minutes):

:::warning
Take a screen recording of you exploring the Air Pollution Kit in VR.
:::

<div style="display:flex; justify-content:center;">
<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper">
<iframe title="CityAir Kit" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share src="https://sketchfab.com/models/05cefd680c96464e8a2d2e48d43669f9/embed">
</iframe>
</div>
</div>

The CityAir Kit is a tool that measures air quality and noise pollution. It was developed by the University of Manchester's Citizen Science group in collaboration with the environmental charity Friends of the Earth. The kit consists of a small, portable device that can be attached to a bicycle or backpack, and measures air pollution and noise levels in real-time as the user moves through a city. The data collected by the CityAir Kit can be used to create maps of air and noise pollution in urban areas, which can help inform policies to improve air quality and protect public health.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/xJDf6de.jpg" alt="image" style="width:50%;">
</div>

Breathe Providence uses sensor nodes from the Berkeley Environmental Air-quality and CO2 Network (BEACO2N) project at the University of California, Berkeley. The nodes require power (110V) and can be equipped to use wireless internet or cellular networks. We mount them either on permanent rooftop railings or on freestanding tripods at our sites. By deploying these sensors, we also hope to advance the science of lower-cost air quality monitoring and data interpretation.

## Exploring VideoVR for Pollution Data Visualization & Storytelling

Immerse yourself in this 30 second CO2 360 VR Data Visualization **(1 minute)**:

:::info
Take a screenshot of the country you think has the most air pollution.
:::
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tTQmGcaaEEE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

:::warning
Please don't spend more than 1 minute on this CO2 Visualization.
:::

Now immerse yourself in this data storytelling VideoVR **(5 minutes)**:

:::info
::: spoiler Questions to consider while watching:

1) What are the major sources of air pollution in your local area?

2) How does pollution differ between 1st world and 3rd world countries?

3) What are the pros and cons of using VideoVR platforms for data visualization and storytelling?
:::

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3iBH-xddh5c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## VR Software for Creating Immersive Data VR Visuals

Ambee is an environmental intelligence platform that provides real-time hyperlocal air quality, weather, and pollen data through its API and dashboard. It uses a combination of data from various sources, including government agencies, ground-based sensors, and satellite imagery, to provide accurate and up-to-date information on air quality and other environmental factors. Ambee's data can be used by businesses, governments, and individuals to make informed decisions and take actions to improve the health and well-being of people and the planet. The following real-time air pollution data is parsed

:::warning
::: spoiler Disclaimer:
The Data visuals only consist of 1500+ cities rather than 10,000 since the Ambee free version only allows a certain amount of calls to their API. Data collected through Postman API calls to the Ambee dataset also takes considerable time.

The dataset I parsed took a considerable amount of time but include real-time data on CO, NO2, OZONE, PM10, PM25, SO2, AQI, etc:
:::

:::info
Explore the following Data Visualizations of Real-Time Immersive Air Quality VR Displays. Take 2 screenshots of your favorite displays or anything you find intersting.
Discuss with your group on the pros and cons of different displays as well as (6 minutes).
:::

World Map (Air Quality Index):

https://app.flow.gl/flow/en0fhnw

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="vr; gyroscope; accelerometer; xr" src="https://a.flow.gl/#/flow/en0fhnw?embed=true" style="height: 50vh; width: 75vw; min-height: 300px;"></iframe>

World Lollipop Map of AQI:

https://app.flow.gl/flow/lenvvy34

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="vr; gyroscope; accelerometer; xr" src="https://a.flow.gl/#/flow/lenvvy34?embed=true" style="height: 50vh; width: 75vw; min-height: 400px;"></iframe>

Circular Categorization of CO by Country:

https://app.flow.gl/flow/lenwestv

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="vr; gyroscope; accelerometer; xr" src="https://a.flow.gl/#/flow/lenw9fa1?embed=true" style="height: 50vh; width: 75vw; min-height: 400px;"></iframe>

Circular Categorizations of PM25 by Country:

https://app.flow.gl/flow/lenw9fa1

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="vr; gyroscope; accelerometer; xr" src="https://a.flow.gl/#/flow/lenwestv?embed=true" style="height: 50vh; width: 75vw; min-height: 400px;"></iframe>

PM10xPM25xAQI data plot:

https://app.flow.gl/flow/lenwoi7y

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="vr; gyroscope; accelerometer; xr" src="https://a.flow.gl/#/flow/lenwoi7y?embed=true" style="height: 50vh; width: 75vw; min-height: 400px;"></iframe>