Network Optimization of Carbon Monoxide Sensor Nodes in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo

Air pollution is one of the biggest problems affecting large urban areas. Better monitoring of regions suffering from this type of pollution is in the interest of public health. Although many cities employ sensors to monitor air pollution, a current concern is how to establish the ideal number of sensors to monitor a given geographical region. To address this concern, this research proposes a method to optimize the number of sensors in an air pollution monitoring network to cover a given region efficiently and precisely and uses the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, and CO sensors as an example. The model of Fragmentation into Groups via Routes is proposed to distribute sensors within micro-regions that display similar air pollution characteristics. A network of virtual sensors is created, and the output of each sensor is established using a method of spatial interpolation called IDW. To identify the optimum sensor configuration, a genetic algorithm is used to assess the topology with the lowest variance of data spread. A lesser number of sensor stations to be treated leads to faster responses to sudden changes in urban conditions. Therefore, municipality authorities can take quick measures to improve the population’s wellness.