System and method for tracking pollution

Abstract

A pollution source detection system includes an automated vehicle including a position sensor that detects a geographic position of the automated vehicle and at least one pollution detection sensor that measures a concentration of pollution at the automated vehicle. The pollution source detection system includes a back-end system. The back-end system includes a network interface that receives the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution from the automated vehicle. The back-end system includes a database that stores the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution received via the network interface. The back-end system includes a processor that measures a gradient of the concentration of the pollution and controls a movement of the automated vehicle based on the gradient to guide the automated vehicle toward a source of the pollution.

1 . A pollution source detection system, comprising:
 an automated vehicle comprising a position sensor that detects a geographic position of the automated vehicle and at least one pollution detection sensor that measures a concentration of pollution at the automated vehicle; and   a back-end system, comprising:
 a network interface that receives the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution from the automated vehicle; 
 a database that stores the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution received via the network interface; and 
 a processor that measures a gradient of the concentration of the pollution and controls a movement of the automated vehicle based on the gradient to guide the automated vehicle toward a source of the pollution. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pollution source detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor measures the gradient using a numerical model. 
     
     
         3 . The pollution source detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor measures the gradient in real-time as the automated vehicle moves. 
     
     
         4 . The pollution source detection system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of automated vehicles including the automated vehicle,   wherein each of the plurality of automated vehicles comprises a position sensor that detects a geographic position of the corresponding automated vehicle and at least one pollution detection sensor that measures a concentration of pollution at the corresponding automated vehicle,   wherein the processor aggregates the concentration of the pollution measured by the plurality of automated vehicles, measures an aggregated gradient of the aggregated concentration of the pollution, and controls a movement of the plurality of automated vehicles based on the aggregated gradient to guide the plurality of automated vehicles toward the source of the pollution.   
     
     
         5 . The pollution source detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pollution detection sensor comprises a microphone, the pollution comprises noise pollution, and the microphone detects the concentration of the noise pollution. 
     
     
         6 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pollution sensor comprises an air quality sensor, the pollution comprises air pollution, and the air quality sensor detects a concentration of the air pollution by detecting a concentration of at least one of O3, NO2, CO, SO2, PM10, PM2.5 and C6H6. 
     
     
         7 . The pollution sensor detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pollution detection sensor comprises a camera, a hyperspectral sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a thermal sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a corrosion sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the position sensor comprises a GPS sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the position sensor detects the geographic position in three dimensions. 
     
     
         10 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the network interface is a cellular interface that receives the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution from the automated vehicle via a cellular connection. 
     
     
         11 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the automated vehicle is an automated air vehicle that moves through air without contacting ground, an automated ground vehicle that moves on the ground while contacting the ground, or an automated water vehicle that moves in water. 
     
     
         12 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the network interface initially receives a general location at which the pollution is present from a source other than the automated vehicle, and the processor subsequently guides the automated vehicle to the general location and controls the movement of the automated vehicle based on the gradient to guide the automated vehicle toward the source of the pollution within the general location. 
     
     
         13 . The pollution detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor performs an inverse geocoding query to detect a company or individual responsible for the source of the pollution. 
     
     
         14 . A method of detecting a source of pollution, comprising:
 detecting a geographic position of an automated vehicle by a position sensor disposed on the automated vehicle;   measuring a concentration of the pollution by at least one pollution detection sensor disposed on the automated vehicle;   receiving the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution via a network interface disposed at a back-end system from the automated vehicle;   storing the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution received via the network interface in a database disposed at the back-end system;   measuring, by a processor disposed at the back-end system, a gradient of the concentration of the pollution; and   controlling, by the processor, a movement of the automated vehicle based on the gradient to guide the automated vehicle toward the source of the pollution.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the processor measures the gradient using a numerical model. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the processor measures the gradient in real-time as the automated vehicle moves. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 detecting a geographic position of each of a plurality of automated vehicles, including the automated vehicle, by a position sensor disposed on each of the plurality of automated vehicles;   measuring a concentration of the pollution by at least one pollution detection sensor disposed on each of the plurality of automated vehicles;   aggregating the concentration of the pollution measured by the plurality of automated vehicles;   measuring an aggregated gradient of the aggregated concentration of the pollution; and   controlling a movement of the plurality of automated vehicles based on the aggregated gradient to guide the plurality of automated vehicles toward the source of the pollution.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 initially receiving a general location at which the pollution is present from a source other than the automated vehicle;   subsequently guiding the automated vehicle to the general location; and   controlling the movement of the automated vehicle based on the gradient to guide the automated vehicle toward the source of the pollution within the general location.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 performing, by the processor, an inverse geocoding query to detect a company or individual responsible for the source of the pollution.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product for detecting a source of pollution, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
 detect a geographic position of an automated vehicle by a position sensor disposed on the automated vehicle;   measure a concentration of the pollution by at least one pollution detection sensor disposed on the automated vehicle;   receive the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution via a network interface disposed at a back-end system from the automated vehicle;   store the geographic position and the concentration of the pollution received via the network interface in a database disposed at the back-end system;   measure a gradient of the concentration of the pollution; and   control a movement of the automated vehicle based on the gradient to guide the automated vehicle toward the source of the pollution.