Weather-forecasting pigeons to monitor smog

U.S. researchers will send a slew of technology-equipped pigeons into the sky to paint a picture of air pollution for non-scientists.

Scientists from the University of California will be releasing the birds as part of ZeroOne San Jose, a technology and art exhibit.

The birds will be flying over Silicon Valley on Saturday.

They will be armed with GPS monitors, pollution sensors, and cell phone transmitting equipment that can send data directly to computers on the ground.

The lightweight equipment - weighing 1.3 ounces for each one-pound bird - took one year to develop, according to the scientists.

The data collected by the pigeons will be sent to a weblog where it will be overlaid on Google maps.

Visitors can then access the maps and receive information about air pollution in the area.

Researchers say the birds will fly for about half an hour between 90 and 150 metres above ground.

The researchers also hope that the pigeons will gather information in areas that are unreachable by existing pollution-monitoring machines.

Photography: Education Environnement

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 14 edition