May 13th 2016
Drayson to close CleanSpace reward scheme
Drayson to close rewards scheme for air quality app ahead of changes
Drayson Technologies is closing the rewards scheme run alongside its CleanSpace app from May 31 2016 just eight months after it was launched.
The rewards scheme was introduced as an incentive for users of the app, which indicates local air quality, to make “clean” journeys and be rewarded for doing so.
Phone with the CleanSpace app and to the right, the Tag (picture: Drayson Technologies)
These journeys, such as those made by bike or on foot, are tracked on a mobile phone and linked by Bluetooth to the CleanSpace app which then generates ‘reward points’. And, Lord Drayson, chairman of Drayson Technologies which produces the App, had also planned for drivers of hybrid cars to be rewarded. Reward partners include Amazon, Spotify and Tastecard.
Lord Drayson told AirQualityNews: “So much has happened since we launched last September. The CleanSpace community has grown at a rate that has pleasantly surprised and humbled us. It is such a privilege to have a 57,000-strong community of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to putting an end to air pollution.
“The benefit of having such a passionate community is that we learn every day from members like yourself. What’s working and what’s not… we take every piece of feedback seriously.”
But, Lord Drayson commented that while some members loved the reward scheme, others had felt it could detract from “what matters the most – tackling air pollution”.
And, he promised that “great new improvements” will be made to the CleanSpace App soon.
Tag sensor
Alongside the App a portable handset, known as a Tag, similar in size to a large mobile phone, is available. Drayson Technologies describe this as “the world’s first air pollutions smart sensor”.
While the App has been downloaded by 57,000 people, the number of people using the handsets, which link to the mobile phone, has not been disclosed by Drayson Technologies on grounds of confidentiality.
The company said: “We have been delighted by the interest and take-up of the Tag, as well as the tremendous user engagement we have seen from people sharing the air pollution data they have collected using their own device.”
And, it pointed to users such as ‘Roy the Butcher’, (on Twitter), who have highlighted the work of the Tag.
In London, the data for the App is sourced from the Environmental Research Group at King’s College and fed into the CleanSpace network. In the rest of the UK, the data comes from sensors used by DEFRA to monitor UK air quality, according to Drayson Technologies.
Carbon monoxide
However, the Tag only measures carbon monoxide, which notes the CleanSpace website, is produced by “incomplete combustion of a fuel”. And it explains further that “The CleanSpace Tag measures the amount of carbon monoxide in the air around the sensor in ppm (parts per million) and shows the data in the Air Graph page in the App. The medium to high thresholds in the CleanSpace App Air Graph have been chosen in relation to the World Health Organisation guidelines of an average limit for 8h exposure to carbon monoxide of 10ppm. The low to medium threshold in the App corresponds to 1.5ppm.carbon monoxide of 10ppm. The low to medium threshold in the App corresponds to 1.5ppm.”
While carbon monoxide can be harmful, especially for example where boilers are not connected properly in the home, measurement of the gas is not usually a priority in air quality measuring out of doors.