Author: tdr

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Dublin Inquirer – In Blackpitts, Dubliners are Invited to Build Their Own Air-Pollution Sensors

Our own Jeffrey Roe was interviewed about our upcoming air quality sensor workshop next month. Check out a snippet of the story below and read the full interview on Dublin Inquirer.

In the common room of the TOG Hackerspace in Blackpitts, Jeffrey Roe opens an app on his phone. A line on a graph on the screen creeps up and down a little, but is more or less even – before rising up into a sharp peak. It shows readings from the air-pollution sensor, across the city, outside his home in Crumlin. There was a spike at 4.30pm, earlier that day. “Why were people busy then?” he says, with a chuckle. Another graph, for a few months ago, the night of Halloween, shows a thin line rising sharply from the early evening, as bonfires light up. “You can see, when it starts to get dark, the level of pollution just skyrockets,” he said.

https://www.dublininquirer.com/2020/01/22/in-blackpitts-dubliners-are-invited-to-build-their-own-air-pollution-sensors
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Air Quality Sensor Kit Workshop

Sensor Kit

Air pollution affects many people’s daily lives not just close to industrial centres. Most governmental monitoring is only done with a very limited number of sensors. Often times we are relying on modelling to make the best guess at current levels. This can miss out on local pollution sources or seasonally (coal fires during the winter) / event-based pollution. This kit uses customer grade hardware to measure levels of PM2.5. It is not a replacement for accurate calibrated professional equipment that can pinpoint the type of particles in the air but can give reasonable readings at a low lost in a local area.

Sensor Map Dublin

This kit allows you to measure local pollution levels by building your own particulate matter sensor system. This DIY setup allowed everyone to measure air quality. Join thousands around the world by contributing the data to citizen science projects with open data. The system uses off the shelf parts with limited soldering required (design by OK Lab Stuttgart as part of the https://luftdaten.info/ project).

Engineers Week Ireland logo

This event is part of Engineers Week that runs from February 29th until March 6th. For other events on as part during the week visit http://www.engineersweek.ie/

Sensor workshop at 36c3

*** You must be 18 years of age or older to take part in this workshop. Please do not book places for children ***

SOLD Out Extra Afternoon session added. The workshop will take place on Saturday the 29th of February at 11 am at a cost of €50 plus Eventbrite fees. To book please use the link below. https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/air-quality-sensor-kit-workshop-tickets-89491673003

The workshop will take place on Saturday the 29th of February at 3pm at a cost of €50 plus Eventbrite fees. To book please use the link below. https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/air-quality-sensor-kit-workshop-afternoon-session-tickets-92490346115

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11th Birthday Party

Birthday cake

Mark those calendars! January wouldn’t be January without TOG’s biggest bash of the year. We will be celebrating our 11th Birthday and regular Open Social all rolled into one on Saturday 25th January 2020 from 7PM.

We have had a busy 11th year packed with Hackathons, Workshops, Talks, Debates and Group Nights. This year even saw us expand from just doing events in Dublin to now adding Cork to the list of places to which we have brought our unique style of outreach.  

We recently passed a milestone of 100 full members in Tog. We could never have dreamed that a member-run/member-funded space could reach such heights. We are really grateful to the wider maker/tech/STEM community support and we hope that we have played our part in giving a little back where we can.

So drop in, wish us a Happy Birthday and soak up the atmosphere. There are strong rumours of cake and other goodies. The party is free to attend for both members and visitors alike. No need to book…. just turn up. You can drop in for 10 minutes, or stay the whole night. We have parking available. Bring beer, food, gadgets!

If you’ve never been to our Social, you’ll find it a great alternative Saturday evening in town. If you’ve been making resolutions over Christmas & New Year about making, tinkering or hacking, then come and talk to us. If you’ve never been in before, we’ll give you the grand tour of the space. Talk to members and visitors about projects or things that you’d like to do. If you like what you see, ask about joining as a full member. Weather and volunteer permitting, we might have our wood fired pizza oven going outside. Expect caint, ceol agus craic as usual. The space stays open until the last member is left……usually the small hours of Sunday morning.