Autonomous Low-Cost DIY Dust Sensor Prototype: Development and Operations

The problem of air pollution in large cities is one of the familiar to the ordinary inhabitant of a large metropolis; air quality analysis has spurred the development of civil and volunteer monitoring and citizen sciences. When expensive professional equipment is not available, such projects use low-cost DIY sensors for monitoring, which are easy to purchase, assemble, and use. However, such devices currently have several functional limitations. Urban green infrastructure performs important ecosystem services, including improving air quality by absorbing PM2.5 and PM10 dust particles. However, monitoring these indicators at these locations and assessing their system services using civil monitoring devices is difficult due to the lack of power and Wi-Fi networks at such locations. The team of authors developed an autonomous PM2.5 and PM10 dust particle sensor that can be used for monitoring urban air quality. The paper discusses the concept and design of the sensor, creating an actual prototype of this device based on the design solutions. The paper also outlines the concept of an in-field verification experiment and presents the results of sensor accuracy evaluation with reference devices. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.