Digital lungs warn the public of poor air quality on advertising screens

Throughout Poland, our advertising screens are displaying virtual lungs that represent daily air quality. The greater the smog around the screen, the darker the digital lungs become. This display is connected to the Airly database and before each spot display, the screen collects information about the current concentration of PM 10 dust in the area and creates a display that presents the exact air quality in and around each particular screen. Together with the Polish Smog Alarm and the Clean Poland Program Association, we inform and warn the public about the threat of smog.

Over twenty thousand screens, including the largest LED displays in major Polish cities display breathing lungs where the consequent colour depends on the air pollution in the area. In addition, the screens display information about the current concentration of PM10 dust and a description of the air quality: Average, Bad or Very Bad.

Polish Smog Alarm, in cooperation with Screen Network (the largest Polish DOOH company and the owner of a large network of advertising screens) and the Clean Poland Program Association, launched a nationwide campaign showing air quality on thousands of screens. Residents of a multitude of cities around Poland can visualize increased concentrations of PM10 dust as the information can be seen on LED screens warning against smog. The screens show the lungs, the color of which will gradually darken – depending on the level of air pollution. This educational campaign is not only to warn against smog, but also to encourage change such as replacing old boilers with modern heating sources.

– The campaign is a virtual supplement to the action in which we show a model of human lungs breathing polluted air. The mobile installation in “real life” will be located in 63 Polish towns, but thanks to the cooperation with Screen Network, we have the opportunity to show it additionally across 20,000 screens – said Piotr Siergiej, spokesman for the Polish Smog Alert. – We want to warn about smog, because each screen with lungs will show the current air quality supplemented with information as to whether it is average, bad or very bad.

As part of the campaign, we use current readings of suspended particulate matter and translate this into a dust animation generated in real time – says Damian Rezner from Screen Network. – The poorer the air quality, the darker the lungs become. In addition, the screens display the current level of pollution in the area. Thanks to this procedure, we can visualize an invisible threat. Thanks to the combination of screens with sensors measuring air quality, the displayed content is generated in real time.

– We plan to reach millions of people with our message so that after this heavy smog season there is no doubt what needs to be done: replace old furnaces and insulate our houses – explains Piotr Siergiej. – A modern source of heat in an insulated building means less smog in our area and lower heating bills. At the current prices, heating a house with coal is the most expensive method of maintaining thermal comfort. Insulating homes is also very important. As much as 70% of Polish houses do not have sufficient insulation of walls and ceilings which means that heating such houses takes on significant financial loss.