Environmental Sensor technology involves the review o the sensor technology in terms of operational limits and principle of operation. The operational limits are based on the aspects of error measurement, interferences and detection limit. Prior to an individual acquiring a new sensor technology for the facility it is important to compare the available sensor products and put into consideration the future technology developments (Nickel, 2015). The role of the work is to compare and critique the sensor technologies TZOA, HazeWatch, AirBeam and Lapka PEM.

The Lapka PEM devices have sensors which assist the users to measure the nitrate count in certain food, the electromagnetic strengths in the surrounding fields, and the amount of the emitted radiation by the surrounding devices and the relative humidity and temperature of the surrounding. The Lapka PEM technology normally uses the Lapka and Lapka Pro application to track the environment (Deage, 2012). Despite the fact that the two applications serve the same purpose, the data presentation among them is different. The Lapka application not only indicate the values of what one is measuring but also provide the visual problematic and acceptable ranges based on particular environmental parameters.

The TZOA technology is the use of smart wearable devices which monitors the surrounding environment by delivering the UV metrics and real time air quality. The TZOA devices have the laser based optical sensor design in a way that provides the users with immediate feedback in regard to their environment.  The TZOA devices are also made of UV sensors which monitor the sun exposure and measures the appropriate light levels, humidity and temperatures that a person might expose himself or herself upon (Luxan, et. al. 2010). Both the Lapka PEM and TZOA devices use the sensors which monitor the surrounding environment aspects in terms of temperature, light and humidity. Nevertheless, the Lapka PEM devices are portable and present the data collected in a variety of ways but the TZOA devices are importable and present the data in only one way.

The AirBeam devices are wearable devices which assist the users to crowdsource, graph and map the air pollution in the real time through the use of the AirCasting Android application. Just like the Lapka PEM devices and the TZOA devices, the AirBeam devices are used to evaluate the surrounding environment quality of air and the impacts associated with air pollution (Kuljanic, 2009). The quality of measurement and accurate assessment of the level of air pollution using the Air Beam devices has be supported by the devices being portable and of low cost such that they become affordable to many people (Daskalaki, 2010). Unlike the Lapka PEM devices and the TZOA devices which have a variety of uses in improving the life of different individuals, the Air Beam devices are only used to evaluate and assess the impact of air pollution to the health of the population.

The Haze Watch technology uses several low cost mobile sensors attached on the vehicles to measure the air pollution and the mobile phones to upload and tag the data in real time. The Haze Watch devices comprise of gas sensors, battery power supply, micro-controllers and the Blue Tooth transmitters which measures the rate of air pollution in the environment. The gas sensor assists in presentation of the different air pollution trade-offs (Myung, 2015).  Nevertheless, unlike the Air Beam devices which accurately measure the level of air pollution, the Haze Watch is presents non-linear and inaccurate measurements. In addition, the Haze Watch devices are believed to be bulky and expensive unlike the Air Beam Devices which are portable and less expensive. In conclusion, both the Air Beam and Haze Watch devices are fundamental devices for measuring the level of air pollution in the environment.

References

Nickel, D. (2015). Interpolation, Extrapolation, And The Limits Of Science. Oxford University Press.

Deage, A. (2012). Hands-On with the Lapka PEM. Retrieved from: https://physiquegeek.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/hands-on-with-the-lapka-pem/

Luxan, et. Al. (2010). HazeWatch: A Participatory Sensor System for Monitoring Air Pollution in Sydney. New York Publishers.

 Kuljanic, E. (2009). Advanced manufacturing systems and technology: proceedings of the seventh international conference. Wien [u.a.] Springer.

Myung, H. (2015). Robot intelligence technology and applications 3: Edition of the selected papers from the 3rd International Conference on Robot Intelligence Technology and Applications. Hershey, PA : Medical Information Science Reference

Daskalaki, A. (2010). Informatics in oral medicine: Advanced techniques in clinical and diagnostic technologies. New York Publishers.