France-based PlanetWatch, which records air quality data on Algorand’s blockchain, has launched its first test sensor in Hong Kong, according to a company announcement on Twitter

Fast Facts: 

  • The sensor data is validated, analyzed and written onto the Algorand blockchain. Depending on the quality of data, sensor owners receive Planet tokens as rewards that can be redeemed for air purifiers and environmentally-friendly goods and services. 
  • Although data from individual sensors are accessible to sensor owners, members of the public can access live air quality data on the company’s website only in a 0.72 square kilometer area. 
  • Claudio Parrinello, chief executive and founder of PlanetWatch, told Forkast.News: “We are extremely interested in Asian cities. We have some very strong partners in Hong Kong … [such as the] Algorand foundation.” 
  • He said that sensors in new locations needed to meet the company’s quality requirements and comply with local regulations. “We are in the process of preparing for mass development of the project in Asia, but we still have some work to do in terms of testing sensors,” he said.