The wearables market in India has grown exponentially over the past few years, with smart watches gaining up to 60% of the market share in 2020. 15 million smartwatches were shipped to Indian customers in 2019 alone! Yet, 5 in 10 customers reported that they wanted more information from their smart wearables, especially recommendations about health and fitness. According to a WHO report in 2018, 14 among 20 of the world’s worst polluted cities are in India. The Mayo Clinic details various effects of air pollution on outdoor exercise, especially the effects on children and diabetic patients who are advised to exercise regularly. Using SmartAQ data from Blue Sky Analytics to provide critical recommendations for customers, can help gain the innovative edge in this competitive market.

The trouble with ground monitors

The data offered by ground monitoring stations is limited to very small geographical areas and due to capital constraints, not all localities can have a monitoring station. However, different areas in the same city can have varying air quality. For instance, BreeZo data has previously shown that Powai, a residential neighborhood in Mumbai, has had poor AQI compared to Bandra (a coastal suburb in Mumbai) which is 20 km away. There are significant differences between air quality in neighboring streets! Due to irregular upkeep, sensors might be down for hours and days together, making current data pipelines insufficient in accessing climate intelligence.

Breezo Smart AQ

BreeZo is India's most comprehensive and state-of-the-art air quality data set. Powered by 3 million virtual air quality sensors, it creates a mosaic of satellite, meteorological and ground data to hyperlocal and real time air quality data. The BreeZo API has detailed data points about various pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NOx to name a few. This is crucial information as it helps in arriving at an Air Quality Index (AQI) which measures the degree of pollution. The power of BreeZo is made available through a simple API that can be integrated with all platforms.

BreeZo data as seen in Xiaomi smartphones, integrated into its weather application.

BreeZo data as seen in Xiaomi smartphones, integrated into its weather application.

BreeZo for smart wearables

An early morning jog or yoga in the park exposes people to particulate matter and SO2 to a greater extent than most realise. Apps like Strava, Nike Running and wearables like Samsung Galaxy watches can integrate SmartAQ data, to provide recommendations powered by climate intelligence. It can direct runners to stay away from busy, polluted roads and even optimize the intensity of exercise to suit the ambient air quality for the day. Moreover, it can track their exposure to pollutants and generate regular reports that inform users about the reality of their surroundings.

Early morning joggers could use BreeZo data to identify pockets of poor air quality in their neighborhood. PC: Scripbox

Early morning joggers could use BreeZo data to identify pockets of poor air quality in their neighborhood. PC: Scripbox

For instance, most people exercise early in the morning as the air is fresh and it is a perfect start to the day. But BreeZo data shows that 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. (80) is when the AQI is worse compared to the day’s average (41). The smartwatch can then recommend 4:30 p.m. as the best time for a safe run.

Smartphone companies like Apple, OnePlus, Samsung and Google can setup real time alerts to inform their users about the air quality during various points of the day. It is as simple as providing weather information but powerful enough to protect the customer’s health over the long term.

Breezo has partnered with Xiaomi to provide SmartAQ data to their users.

“Breezo's team made sure that the API integration is easy and customized the response format as per our requirements. To ensure an accurate representation, data is detailed and refreshed periodically which is appreciated.”

If you would like to integrate SmartAQ data in your devices and applications, we’d love to chat with you about your needs. Setup a call with us.