EASIER AIR ALERT PLATFORM: A DESIGN AND APPROACH TO CREATING A DISTRIBUTED AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND ALERT SYSTEM

This thesis presents the design approach, development and implementation of the Elders Alert System for Imminent Environmental Risk (EASIER) project, an air quality monitoring and alert system aiming to improve the health and wellness of under-served elder communities, as a part of the Tennessee Valley Authority Connected Communities initiative for Environmental Justice. The EASIER project provides homes with a fully integrated, connected system capable of real-time air quality monitoring, notifications and descriptions of potential air quality risks, and educational material to empower these community members to take charge of their own air health. Further, EASIER aims to inform relevant family/friends of identified risks automatically when they are detected. The EASIER system utilises off-the-shelf components, including Android tablets, AWAIR air quality monitoring systems, backup wireless access points and batteries, and a central web server to connect devices and process their data. This thesis describes the project's goals, its initial design requirements, the overall system architecture, its implementation, and project results so far, providing an overview of a scalable architecture capable of educating and enhancing the environmental health of vulnerable populations.