Dynamic Exposure Visualization of Air Quality Data with Augmented Reality

Increased awareness regarding air pollution and environmental conditions is more relevant than ever. Notably, there is already widespread availability of do-it-yourself (DIY) environmental and air quality sensors across Europe. These data are accessible to the public through various web interfaces, providing insights into current and past environmental conditions across different regions of Europe. Augmented Reality (AR) stands out as a promising technology to enable citizens to monitor environmental conditions in their communities and comprehend their own impact, thus motivating behavioural changes. Nevertheless, effectively visualizing real-time environmental data in the 3D AR space remains a challenge. Innovative visualization techniques are necessary to present environmental data in a clear and engaging manner. In this paper, we introduce a framework, a visualization concept, and a prototype AR application capable of providing a visual overlay of environmental information such as air quality or traffic data. These concepts stem from the European project H2020 COMPAIR, which involved users throughout the development process. The application will undergo evaluation in various pilot cities and regions and will be publicly available via app stores by mid-2024.