EcoPod

Effective March 31, 2023, Microsoft Project Eclipse research will be concluded, and the API will be shut down.  At this time, historical data will still be available via the Microsoft Planetary Computer (opens in new tab) pursuant to the Terms of Use for Microsoft Project Eclipse API.

What is EcoPod?

EcoPod is a retrofitted, solar powered trailer serving as an environmental pop-up lab designed to engage communities with local environmental data, through Project Eclipse, and expertise for climate awareness and resilience. The EcoPod was designed to help facilitate city and community conversations around air quality, bridging the gap of data access as well as increasing engagement on environmental sustainability efforts and organizations across cities.

Bridging science to community

In collaboration with the City of Chicago (opens in new tab), JCDecaux (opens in new tab), Array of Things (opens in new tab), and the Environmental Law and Policy Center (opens in new tab), Microsoft Research’s Urban Innovation team (opens in new tab) deployed over 100 air quality sensors through Project Eclipse (opens in new tab) – creating one of the densest urban air (opens in new tab) sensing networks in a North American city. Because of its citywide coverage, the collection and analysis of this data can monitor disparities in air pollution across space and over time. Residents can now see current air quality readings in their own neighborhood and compare their levels across the city. Analyzing the data, however, is only a first step. The EcoPod enables community voices to help shape, translate, and deliver the data into measurable actions for environmental justice. Because it is mobile and temporary, the EcoPod can host and support efforts in neighborhoods that have the most pressing environmental justice concerns.

EcoPod origins

The concept originated from Microsoft Research’s Urban Futures Workshop (opens in new tab) in 2020. The result was a whitepaper (opens in new tab) that explored the idea of a pop-up lab to bridge the gap between data and communities. Urban Innovation (opens in new tab) collaborated with Azure IOT (opens in new tab), WZMH Architects (opens in new tab), and Nassal (opens in new tab) to retrofit a small portable trailer to serve as a destination for neighborhood residents to directly learn about their air quality. The increased demand for flexible and hybrid solutions around Covid-19 also informs its design.

The pod experience is sustainable and simple. The trailer unfolds into a temporary stage and demo area that enables scientists to share local environmental data and insights about the neighborhood and city it’s currently in. It also provides a physical space for community leaders and environmental groups to host conversations with residents. The pod is solar powered and provides free Wi-Fi access while also supporting STEM related activities for kids.