Blog 10

Hi everyone! Welcome to my Week 10 Senior Project Blog, also the final one that will wrap up my senior project.

This project has taught me so much about LiDAR and light scattering, along with how these technologies can be used in the field of environmental monitoring. The knowledge and skills I’ve gained in the past 10 weeks have solidified my desire to pursue a career in the sector of human health – whether that’s through engineering or another field entirely. 

In terms of my project progress, I’m in the final stages of wrapping up my research paper. I’ve decided to add in one more experiment involving an air purifier to provide more conclusive evidence, so I still need to write about the results from that experiment. To be completely honest, there are many factors in my project, such as wind speed, that could have influenced my experiments, but ultimately, 10 weeks was not enough to do a full-on case study. However, I’m satisfied with the graphs I’ve created from my data because they still showcase important trends that can be used to inform people about PM2.5 concentrations inside or outside their house.

My goal for this project was ultimately to help consumers decide which sensor is better for their use case – a more expensive $200 LiDAR sensor or a cheaper $30 light scattering sensor. There are so many different consumers who will need to buy PM2.5-detecting sensors, whether that’s people with asthma, business owners, or more, and it’s imperative to weigh the pros and cons because not everybody can buy a more expensive sensor. If the cheaper one still provides accurate data, then it’s not necessary to buy the more expensive one. I’m happy with the results of my project because I believe I’ve successfully addressed this goal.

Thank you for following me along on my journey! Remember to always be conscious of the pollution near your area, as long-term exposure to polluted areas can cause serious harmful health effects.