We have and continue to deploy a range of sensors across the campus and the Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Arc. There are sensors measuring a range of parameters including water quality, air quality and weather

The water quality sensors measure water level, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH and turbidity. These sensors have been deployed on campus along the Chicheley Brook from close to the source in Merchant Lane to beside the water treatment works on the edge of the campus.

The sensors have been deployed since December 2020 and have been regularly streaming live data since January 2024.

In addition, two inline flow meters have been deployed to monitor the water levels and velocities at discharge points from the technical and residential areas on campus into Chicheley Brook.

Two flow cytometers, allowing the monitoring of bacteria and pathogens in water, are also available.

Water use

A range of sensors have been deployed to better understand water use on campus and to support behavioural change research. These include 500 shower monitors deployed in halls of residence, water metering on the campus technical site, and advanced acoustic water monitors in houses on campus.

A range of air quality sensors have been deployed on campus, across the Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Arc, and internationally.

A reference air quality monitoring system deployed on the roof of B146 has been active since February 2019. This is a high-quality system providing weather, particulate matter and gas data. The data provided by the reference station is used to characterise air quality on campus and to calibrate and test the air quality sensors we deploy on campus and beyond.

In addition to the reference platform, we have a range of sensors that can be deployed to monitor a range of gases and particulates. These are battery or solar powered and can be rapidly deployed to support air quality studies.

Two air monitors AQMesh pods, for monitoring a range of gases (NO, NO2, O3, CO) and particulates, were sited near Milton Keynes and Bedford and were active between August 2020 through to April 2022.

We have ~15 EarthSense Zephyr air quality sensors for monitoring a range of gases (NO, NO2, O3, CO, H2S, SO2, CO2), temperature, humidity, and particulates. These sensors were active from September 2020 through to April 2023, initially being used to study the effects of covid on air quality across the Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Arc before being relocated to the campus. These devices are currently offline and about to undergo an upgrade before being redeployed across the Cranfield campus.

Numerous low-cost particulate sensors, from PurpleAir, are available and have been deployed across campus, the surrounding area, and in a project in Lahore, Pakistan. The first sensor became active in February 2021, and most are still active today.

In addition, we can monitor ultra-fine and nano particulates, with two handheld sensors available. One of these is deployed at the B146 air quality reference site.

We have a variety of weather stations on campus, and these include:

The air quality reference station on B146 has a weather station monitoring temperature, wind chill, dew point, air pressure, humidity, absolute precipitation, precipitation intensity, together with wind speed. Please be aware that this weather station is in a relatively sheltered location.

Three networked weather stations are deployed across campus at the solar farm, AIRC car park and DARTeC Hangar of the Future. These monitor temperature, rainfall, air pressure, windspeed and direction, humidity, dewpoint, and solar radiation.

Two Davis Vantage Pro2 weather stations, sited by the water treatment works and the other side of the airfield by the solar farm, were active between July 2018 and August 2021. Data collected included temperature, rainfall, air pressure, wind speed and solar radiation.

A lightning detection and monitoring system has recently been installed at B146 and enables the monitoring of electrical fields and lightning strikes.

A network of sensors monitoring soil temperature and humidity to a depth of 40cm, with accompanying sensors monitoring rainfall, air temperature, relative humidity, solar flux, windspeed and direction, are about to be deployed on campus. These will be located at 8 sites across campus with differing landcover types (e.g. grass, woodland, biodiversity plot).

In addition, we can monitor odours, aromas, and chemicals (e.g. VOCs) in soils, with our portable multi-sensor environmental monitor/e-nose.

We have a range of sensors for monitoring biodiversity, including wildlife cameras and AudioMoth and Songbird acoustic recording devices enabling the monitoring of birds and bats for example.

A High Fidelity Distributed Acoustic Sensing System enables the real-time monitoring of vibration and acoustics along fibre optic cable. This enables the monitoring of infrastructure behaviour for example.

Distributed fibre bragg grating sensor system, enabling the monitoring of stress and strain.

We have access to a real-time noise/sound monitoring system.