Biotelemetry/Bio-aerial-platforms for the Urban Boundary Layer
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Sch of Geography, Earth & Env Sciences
Abstract
Attempts to improve the urban component in meteorology and numerical weather prediction models in recent years have been hampered by a paucity of meteorological data in the urban boundary layer (UBL), especially in the region above, but close to, building height. This region is precisely where local energy balances and drag combine with prevailing synoptic patterns to transmit fluid dynamical information up and down spatial scales, with implications for (i) urban weather prediction, (ii) event forecasting (e.g. heatwaves, climatic conditions during sporting events, releases of hazardous substances), and (iii) sustainable urban planning for high density liveable cities. However, capturing meteorological data in urban areas above the mean roof height is problematic using conventional techniques.
We propose Biotelemetry/bio-aerial-platforms as a novel and practicable solution to the data paucity above urban rooftops in the UBL, and to circumvent the regulatory issues related to use of unmanned aerial systems. We will develop a suite of low-cost Avian-Meteorology-Instrument Packages (AvMIPs) for ensemble deployment in Birmingham as a suitably large and heterogeneous test case. The AvMIPs will be tested rigorously to determine: (i) data biases and reliability; (ii) sensor response to temperature variations; (iii) effect of radiation; and (iv) effect of bird's body temperature and other 'platform effects'. After quality assurance and control of the packages have been determined to be adequate, the primary targets of the AvMIP deployment will be the thermal and moisture structures of the UBL at the city and neighbourhood scales. Favourable weather conditions for deployment will be identified via pre-deployment modelling using a mesoscale meteorological model (WRF, Weather Research and Forecasting). Subsequent analysis and interpretation of the AvMIP data and synthesis of the data together with Birmingham's canyon (3m) meteorological data will be assisted by post-deployment modelling for the measurement periods. Overall, this project will deliver a novel, and rigorously tested, technology for probing the UBL. A unique dataset for the UBL of a major European conurbation will be obtained, elucidating climate mitigation issues such as the cooling (or heating) capability/capacity of a large park (or a city centre) to a city's UBL, and scientific issues such as the magnitude of the 'blending height' at which the effect of urban surface heterogeneity is no longer detectable. Success of the project will be a necessary step towards deployment of chemical sensors, and lead to generation of unprecedented datasets of the urban atmosphere for both research and city-planning purposes.
Novel field deployments of the kind we propose require strong partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders. The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) provide critical support in terms of birds that will behave in well determined ways. The RPRA have experience of mounting payloads on pigeons and so can ensure that our payloads are appropriately in size, weight, etc., and that our pigeon deployments will deliver the data we seek.
Birmingham City Council will support the project in three ways:
1. As one of the principal end-users of our results (feeding into improved diagnosis and forecasting of urban climatology across the city through the joint city-university BUCCANEER project);
2. In order to facilitate use of birds in open urban spaces such as parks; and
3. In order to facilitate access to city buildings on which gulls are nesting.
Dr Stefan Bodnar, an ecological consultant, will support the project by acting as principal bird handler and as a consultant for public dissemination of our work.
We propose Biotelemetry/bio-aerial-platforms as a novel and practicable solution to the data paucity above urban rooftops in the UBL, and to circumvent the regulatory issues related to use of unmanned aerial systems. We will develop a suite of low-cost Avian-Meteorology-Instrument Packages (AvMIPs) for ensemble deployment in Birmingham as a suitably large and heterogeneous test case. The AvMIPs will be tested rigorously to determine: (i) data biases and reliability; (ii) sensor response to temperature variations; (iii) effect of radiation; and (iv) effect of bird's body temperature and other 'platform effects'. After quality assurance and control of the packages have been determined to be adequate, the primary targets of the AvMIP deployment will be the thermal and moisture structures of the UBL at the city and neighbourhood scales. Favourable weather conditions for deployment will be identified via pre-deployment modelling using a mesoscale meteorological model (WRF, Weather Research and Forecasting). Subsequent analysis and interpretation of the AvMIP data and synthesis of the data together with Birmingham's canyon (3m) meteorological data will be assisted by post-deployment modelling for the measurement periods. Overall, this project will deliver a novel, and rigorously tested, technology for probing the UBL. A unique dataset for the UBL of a major European conurbation will be obtained, elucidating climate mitigation issues such as the cooling (or heating) capability/capacity of a large park (or a city centre) to a city's UBL, and scientific issues such as the magnitude of the 'blending height' at which the effect of urban surface heterogeneity is no longer detectable. Success of the project will be a necessary step towards deployment of chemical sensors, and lead to generation of unprecedented datasets of the urban atmosphere for both research and city-planning purposes.
Novel field deployments of the kind we propose require strong partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders. The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) provide critical support in terms of birds that will behave in well determined ways. The RPRA have experience of mounting payloads on pigeons and so can ensure that our payloads are appropriately in size, weight, etc., and that our pigeon deployments will deliver the data we seek.
Birmingham City Council will support the project in three ways:
1. As one of the principal end-users of our results (feeding into improved diagnosis and forecasting of urban climatology across the city through the joint city-university BUCCANEER project);
2. In order to facilitate use of birds in open urban spaces such as parks; and
3. In order to facilitate access to city buildings on which gulls are nesting.
Dr Stefan Bodnar, an ecological consultant, will support the project by acting as principal bird handler and as a consultant for public dissemination of our work.
Planned Impact
In order to attempt the proposed work, a network of stakeholders has been assembled, and these stakeholders have helped us shape the proposed programme of work. We identify four kinds of non-academic beneficiaries of the work we propose:
(i) stakeholders engaged in planning and regulatory aspects of the urban environment, as exemplified by Birmingham City Council;
(ii) stakeholders charged with responding to emergency atmospheric event/response management, including first responders (e.g., Ambulance);
(iii) the general public, as end users of the urban environment and receptors of urban heat stresses; and
(iv) commercial sensor manufacturers.
Each stakeholder set has different interests in our work, which are, respectively:
(i) improved characterisation of how the urban fabric affects the physical and chemical climatology of the lowest parts of the atmosphere in urban areas;
(ii) improved characterisation of how the urban fabric affects numerical forecasting on short timescales for weather (and for pollutant dispersion);
(iii) concern that the environmental quality of cities are being adequately monitored and that the causes of poor environmental health and well-being are identified; and
(iv) interest in the potential to develop commercial sensor packages.
These different stakeholder interests imply that we engage with each stakeholder group differently, as outlined in the Pathways to Impact.
Other impacts include:
a) PDRA Staff - exposure and development of state-of-the-art miniaturised technology applicable to an increasing field of industrial/scientific UAS (Unmanned aerial systems) use. Named researcher Thomas brings with him a global technology lead from working with Prof Ramanathan in Scripps Institute of Oceanography and this project will embed the technology lead in the UK.
b) Technological benefits could be realized within 3 years via TRL 8 packages. Benefits to public interests from this project begin with outreach work and culminate in feedbacks to city planning on a decadal timescale.
(i) stakeholders engaged in planning and regulatory aspects of the urban environment, as exemplified by Birmingham City Council;
(ii) stakeholders charged with responding to emergency atmospheric event/response management, including first responders (e.g., Ambulance);
(iii) the general public, as end users of the urban environment and receptors of urban heat stresses; and
(iv) commercial sensor manufacturers.
Each stakeholder set has different interests in our work, which are, respectively:
(i) improved characterisation of how the urban fabric affects the physical and chemical climatology of the lowest parts of the atmosphere in urban areas;
(ii) improved characterisation of how the urban fabric affects numerical forecasting on short timescales for weather (and for pollutant dispersion);
(iii) concern that the environmental quality of cities are being adequately monitored and that the causes of poor environmental health and well-being are identified; and
(iv) interest in the potential to develop commercial sensor packages.
These different stakeholder interests imply that we engage with each stakeholder group differently, as outlined in the Pathways to Impact.
Other impacts include:
a) PDRA Staff - exposure and development of state-of-the-art miniaturised technology applicable to an increasing field of industrial/scientific UAS (Unmanned aerial systems) use. Named researcher Thomas brings with him a global technology lead from working with Prof Ramanathan in Scripps Institute of Oceanography and this project will embed the technology lead in the UK.
b) Technological benefits could be realized within 3 years via TRL 8 packages. Benefits to public interests from this project begin with outreach work and culminate in feedbacks to city planning on a decadal timescale.
Publications
Alam M
(2018)
Mapping and quantifying isomer sets of hydrocarbons ( = C<sub>12</sub>) in diesel exhaust, lubricating oil and diesel fuel samples using GC × GC-ToF-MS
in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Bannister E
(2020)
Neighbourhood-Scale Flow Regimes and Pollution Transport in Cities
in Boundary-Layer Meteorology
Chapman, L
(2019)
Building Urban Climate Resilience: An Urban Observatory Approach
Harrison RM
(2018)
Diesel exhaust nanoparticles and their behaviour in the atmosphere.
in Proceedings. Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Hewitt CN
(2020)
Using green infrastructure to improve urban air quality (GI4AQ).
in Ambio
MacKenzie A
(2018)
Avian Sensor Packages for Meteorological Measurements
in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
MacKenzie A
(2019)
Urban form strongly mediates the allometric scaling of airshed pollution concentrations
in Environmental Research Letters
Nikolova I
(2018)
The influence of particle composition upon the evolution of urban ultrafine diesel particles on the neighbourhood scale
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Description | Two key findings of this technology-led project so far are (1) low-cost avian-meteorology-Instrument package (AvMIP), reported in the section of Software & Technical Products, (2) pigeon-platform climate data of the urban boundary layer for Birmingham, UK, reported in the section of Research Databases & Models. The first key finding is a product of innovative technology which enables a measurement of the thermal and moisture structures of the urban boundary layer at the city and neighbourhood scales, and its form factor and accuracy is unique and represents the first meteorological sensor package of this kind in the world. The second key finding is a new urban climate dataset above the roof level in the atmospheric boundary layer, with a high fraction in the atmospheric surface layer (< 100 m). Such unique spatial coverage is advantageous over technologies with traditional platforms which only provide data at ground level or at a fixed height, normally below 10 m. |
Exploitation Route | The key product of this project, AvMIP, can be deployed to any city to collect the urban climate data above the roof level in the atmospheric boundary layer. The unrestricted flight capabilities of pigeons in urban environments offer an opportunity to increase data capture greatly for hitherto intractable measurement scales. It will also be a necessary step towards future deployment of chemical sensors, and lead to generation of unprecedented physical and chemical datasets of the urban atmosphere for both research and city-planning purposes. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Electronics Energy Environment |
Description | There have been multiple engagement activities through major media with potential societal impact of the project, which may not be easily measurable. For example, On 20 Feb 2017, BBC filmed the successful "maiden flight" of the sensor packages on the back of pigeons in Royal Pigeon Racing Association's One Loft. On 7 March 2017, the filmed flight together with a TV interview with Rick Thomas was broadcast in BBC Breakfast. On 4 June 2019, along with a volunteer who trained and provided pigeons, Dr Rick Thomas took part in a live broadcast and interview featuring the release of a flock of sensor carrying pigeons to make microclimate measurements above Birmingham. The programme also featured google earth graphics describing a typical trace from the sensors, taken during a flight trial the previous day. The interview and release were broadcast live to 1.8 million people on primetime BBC 2, Springwatch. Following the broadcast, there was increase in traffic on webpages associated with the project, suggesting interest in a subset of the audience. The impact is reflected by a German National Television Gameshow, during which the featured footage (licenced from earlier BBC filming of pigeons being released with backpacks) was shown. Viewing figures for the show, aired on ZDF, suggested it had 3.1 million viewers. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Education,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Advisory Group, PHE review of interventions to improve outdoor AQ |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7840... |
Description | Forests and Woodlands Advisory Committee |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Guideline Title | Air pollution: outdoor air quality and health (Evidence review 1) |
Description | NICE recommendations on air quality |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in clinical guidelines |
URL | https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-phg92 |
Description | Public Health England (PHE) Air Quality Review, Advisory Group - Planning / Spatial. |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Urban FWAC Network |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Three uFWAC publications have been produced to date, providing guidance on protecting, improving, and expanding the urban forest. |
URL | https://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/beeh-a6lmez |
Description | Urban Tree Manual - draft of Air Quality guidance |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Description | Advanced Training Short Course |
Amount | £73,157 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/P020623/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2017 |
End | 03/2019 |
Description | Advanced Training Short Course |
Amount | £44,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/N019032/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2016 |
End | 03/2017 |
Title | Pigeon-platform climate data of the urban boundary layer for Birmingham, UK |
Description | This project has successfully completed several measurement campaigns by deploying the low-cost avian-meteorology-Instrument packages (AvMIPs) on the pigeon platform. The measured quantities are: (1) air temperature, (2) relative humidity, (3) air pressure, (4) GPS location, (5) acceleration, (6) light intensity, and (7) ground speed (calculated from GPS data). Data sampling frequency is 5 Hz. Two flight modes were targeted: (i) short-haul flights with City of Birmingham, and (ii) long-haul flights between Birmingham and south Worcestershire. Total number of flights is 101. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Briefly describe any notable impact(s) resulting from the development of this research database or model. This database is unique and represents the first dataset of this kind in the world. Horizontal spatial coverage of the dataset ranges from a few kilometers to several tens of kilometers; vertical spatial coverage is normally the lower part of the atmospheric boundary layer, with a high fraction in the atmospheric surface layer (< 100 m). Such unique spatial coverages are advantageous over technologies with traditional platforms (e.g. surface weather station, tower, ground-level vehicle), which only provide data at ground level or at a fixed height, normally below 10 m. Use of the dataset could elucidate climate mitigation issues such as the cooling (or heating) capability/capacity of a large park (or a city centre) to a city's urban boundary layer, and scientific issues such as the magnitude of the 'blending height' at which the effect of urban surface heterogeneity is no longer detectable. |
Title | WRFv3.6.1_inflow_idealised_LES_v1.0 |
Description | This computer code provides the coupling WRF v3.6.1 code with a synthetic inflow turbulence generator v1.0. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | This computer code enables a WRF-LES simulation of a horizontally inhomogeneous case with non-repeated surface land-use patterns and can be extended so as to conduct a multi-scale seamless nesting simulation from a meso-scale domain with a kilometre-scale resolution down to LES domains with metre-scale resolutions. |
URL | http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3668352 |
Description | RPRA |
Organisation | Royal Pigeon Racing Association |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The University of Birmingham team will develop the payload system and modify the system based on feedback from RPRA and pigeon owners; will organise assessment of birds' ability to carry the packages, training for carrying the packages, and deployment of measurement campaigns; and will conduct ethical assessment of using pigeon to carry the packages. |
Collaborator Contribution | RPRA will help establish links with the pigeon owner community and advertise the recruitment for volunteers. Selected pigeon owners will support assessment of birds' ability to carry the packages, training for carrying the packages, and deployment of measurement campaigns. |
Impact | 1) A working relationship has been established with a pigeon farm; 2) Payload design has been tested and modified; 3) A one-day field test has been conducted on 21 Feb 2017; 4) BBC filmed the maiden flight on 21 Feb 2017. This collaboration is apparently multi-disciplinary. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Title | Low-cost avian-meteorology-Instrument package (AvMIP) |
Description | The AvMIPs combines existing technologies (ARM processor, accelerometers, light sensor, pressure sensor, fast glass-bead thermistor, humidity sensor, GPS and battery) into a small form factor package which is light (~12g) and small enough to be carried within best practise guidelines by a range of bird taxa (raptors, pigeons, and gulls [Larus spp.]). The AvMIPs are capable of sensing temperature (changes of <0.2 C with a 1 sec response time) and humidity (changes of 5% with a 15 sec response time) and are suitable for, with increasing deployment duration from mins to hours to days, respectively. |
Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Impact | This technical product's form factor and accuracy is unique and represents the first meteorological sensor package of this kind in the world. The AvMIP is a product of innovative technology which enables a measurement of the thermal and moisture structures of the urban boundary layer at the city and neighbourhood scales. |
Company Name | Surveyar |
Description | Surveyar provides a range of remote sensing and enviornmental monitoring survey services. |
Year Established | 2019 |
Impact | This is a very young company. For case studies, see https://surveyar.co.uk/Applications. |
Website | https://www.surveyar.co.uk/ |
Description | BBC Breakfast |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | On 20 Feb 2017, BBC filmed the successful "maiden flight" of the sensor packages on the back of pigeons in Royal Pigeon Racing Association's One Loft. On 7 March 2017, the filmed flight together with a TV interview with Rick Thomas was broadcast in BBC Breakfast. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | BBC Radio WM interview, March 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rob Mackenzie was interviewed by BBC Radio West Midlands on 16 March 2017 on the subject of his presentation in the University of Birmingham Arts and Science festival: A Journey through Deep Tim: Plants, Rocks, and Carbon Dioxide. The interview included a question about President Trump's climate scepticism, which was countered with a response that not even the oil and gas sector supported hi statements. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | C&EN Article on environmental use of drones |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The field intensives in Ascension carried out as part of the Southern Methane Anomaly project were featured heavily (including a photograph of Ascension taken from the UAV) in an article in Chemical and Engineering News, a professional-practice journal of the American Chemical Society. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i9/drones-help-us-study-climate.html |
Description | CIBSE seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Working with uncertainties in air quality modelling - Invited presentation and panel, CIBSE Build2Perform Conference, London Olympia, 22 November 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Crowdscience |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Scientific adviser to BBC Science Radio programme about the efficiency of trees in reducing air pollution for new show "CrowdScience", Feb 2017. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04d42rc |
Description | EcoBuild presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation at EcoBuild: "Urban Air Quality and Green Infrastructure" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Fighting for Air |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | BBC Fighting For Air, aired 10th January 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09m2djj |
Description | Guardian interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Guardian interview on air pollution and trees, Feb 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/15/10-ways-to-beat-air-pollution-how-effective-are-they |
Description | Landscape Learn |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Sci-fi forest: one reason why trees are green infrastructure - Invited seminar to Landscape Learn, Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace, 20 February 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Live release of Pigeons with sensor backpacks on BBC springwatch |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Along with a volunteer who trained and provided pigeons, Dr Rick Thomas too part in a live broadcast and interview featuring the release of a flock of sensor carrying pigeons to make microclimate measurements above Birmingham. The programme also featured google earth graphics describing a typical trace from the sensors, taken during a flight trial the previous day. The interview and release were broadcast live to 1.8 million people on primetime BBC 2. Following the broadcast, there was increase in traffic on webpages associated with the project, suggesting interest in a subset of the audience. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005pzv |
Description | London Eye presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Birmingham Institute of Forest Research - Invited presentation on London Eye as part of "Bringing Birmingham to You", London, 20 July 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Midlands Today |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In the evening programme of Midlands Today on 7 March 2017, the "maiden flight" of the sensor packages on the back of pigeons was broadcast. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Op-ed (Action on Air Quality: does the government get it?) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Editorial in the online _Birmingham Brief_ site, commenting on the UK government response to the Action on Air Quality report of its Environmental Audit Committee. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/thebirminghambrief/items/2015/03/air-quality-05-03-15.aspx |
Description | Op-ed (drones) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Article for the online magazine _The Conversation on the scientific use of unmanned aerial vehicles: "Of all the existential anxieties addressed by drones, war is only the most obvious". 3 comments generated. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
URL | http://theconversation.com/not-just-weapons-of-war-drones-hold-much-potential-for-civilians-18933 |
Description | PGR seminar Westmere House |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Air Quality - Invited seminar with Zongbo Shi to postgraduates at Westmere House, 7 July 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | PHE AQ review |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Public Health England (PHE) Air Quality Review, Advisory Group - Planning / Spatial. Public Health England (PHE) has been requested by government to review the evidence for effective air quality interventions and provide practical recommendations for actions to supplement those identified in the air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide in UK (2017), by August 2018. The recommendations must stratify interventions by their health and economic impact. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation at CIBSE Build2Perform |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Big data is rising up the agenda as cities, buildings, and the internet of things produce ever increasing amounts of data about their activities. What form do these data sets take? Some are mapped over various scales, some are valuable in the moment while others build into a chronological picture, some are very specific whilst others are more subjective. Specifically, what should building services engineers be aware of? And how could innovative use of data sets help us create better buildings? The invited talk was given as part of this bigger session to general practitioners at Build2Perform. An audience of around 50 attended the particular session. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.build2perform.co.uk/ |
Description | RTPI Planning Summit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Urban Form and Air Quality - Invited presentation, RTPI West Midlands Planning Summit, Birmingham, 30 November 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Science City panel |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Understanding the future climate using forests - Invited presentation to Birmingham Science City Innovative Low Carbon Working Group, Birmingham, 21 Sept. 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | TDAG GI4AQ |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Green Infrastructure for Air Quality improvement (GI4AQ) - Invited presentation at Trees Design Action Group West Midlands, Birmingham, 12 July 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | TPBE3 conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited presentation, joint with a landscape architect practitioner (Jo Gibbons, J&L Gibbons Landscape Architects). Working together in a fluid two-way live conversation, we demonstrated how air quality research can inform urban development design processes without the need for high-cost consultancy. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.charteredforesters.org/event/icf-trees-people-built-environment-3/ |
Description | TfL seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Tranquil City and Trees Design Action Group. Invited seminar with Julie Godefroy and Neil Davidson at Transport for London, 26 April 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | The Air We Breathe |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The University of Birmingham has opened a major new public engagement venue called The Exchange. The inaugural exhibition, called "The Air We Breathe", drew on many of the grants being reported here, both for air quality and for forests. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/the-exchange/index.aspx |
Description | The project featured in a German National Television Gameshow |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The project formed part of a question on a German TV game show "Da kommst Du nie drauf!" (You'll Never Guess!), where comedians attempt to guess which out of four improbable options is true to win money for charity. The show aired in late August 2019 and featured footage licenced from earlier BBC filming of pigeons being released with backpacks. Viewing figures for the show, aired on ZDF, suggested it had 3.1 million viewers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.zdf.de/show/da-kommst-du-nie-drauf/da-kommst-du-nie-drauf-156.html |
Description | University sponsorship of a national event run by the CBI titled 'Low Carbon 2020s - a Decade of Delivery' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | In partnership with the Energy Research Accelerator, the University of Birmingham Business Engagement team sponsored a Confederation of Industry conference on delivering a low-carbon future and meeting the Governments net-zero targets. As part of this sponsorship package, we hosted an exhibition stand in the 'discovery zone' of the event venue (Schroders, London). Part of an exhibition stand at the above event, showcasing UoB Research which included the CityFlocks project. This event was attended by approx. 150 delegates from industry and included high-profile speakers and panelists from industry, academia and government. Interest in our stand, garnered largely from the ceramic pigeon on display, wearing the CityFlocks harness and backpack, instigated conversations between our Business Engagement Partners and possible new leads for collaboration. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.cbi.org.uk/events/the-low-carbon-2020s-a-decade-of-delivery/ |
Description | Workshop: Joint Meeting of the Urban Fluid Mechanics Special Interest Group and the Urban Working Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | One Co-I and one researcher of this NERC-funded project attended the workshop, which was organised Urban Fluid Mechanics Special Interest Group and the Urban Working Group. A poster presentation was given in order to disseminate the research to wider communities. The poster was well received and won a prize from the workshop organiser. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.urbanfluidmechanics.org/meetings/reading-january-6-7-2020 |
Description | Workshop: Overcoming obstacles to high density resilient cities |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Two Co-Is of this NERC-funded project, Profs Lee Chapman and Rob MacKenzie, were invited speakers and panellists at the workshop, which is organised by CIBSE(Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers), the ARCC network (Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change Network (hosted by UKCIP and funded by the EPSRC)), and London Climate Change Partnership, at City Hall, London. 65 policy, practice and research professionals attended. In addition to registered delegates, members of the GLA Development, Enterprise & Environment team were invited to dip in and out; some did. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.cibse.org/training-events/event?id=a1E0O00001Vat7sUAB |
Description | Workshop: UK-US Collaboration on Air-Quality Modelling & Exposure Science Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | One researcher of this NERC-funded project attended the workshop, which was organised by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), UK Defra and the Environment Agency (Defra). An oral presentation was given in order to disseminate the research to wider communities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | iLEAPS Global Interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | "Green Infrastructure for air quality benefits and Nature-based solutions for Clean Air and Climate". 90-minute interview as part of the iLEAPS Global Interview Series 2023 "Drive with iLEAPS on the Wheels of Science", 27th Sept. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |