South Coast Science Limited
South Coast Science designs and manufactures affordable precision air quality monitors. We deliver accurate environmental data in real-time to evidence your compliance, inform your decision-makers and support community action. Praxis products offer ultra-low noise sensing for gasses (CO, H2S, NO, NO2, O3, SO2, CO2) and particulates (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10). They support multiple analysis techniques including any sampling rate. Our business model is to develop engineering solutions that can be easily validated by our customers and integrated into their own systems. To date, our products are now used in the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Monaco, Senegal, Spain, Uganda, the UK and the USA.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Air Monitoring and Testing
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Year Founded:
- 2016
- Employees:
- 1-10
About Us
At the core of our partnership in 2016 was sensor specialist Alphasense, with whom we developed a standard digital front end for their electrochemical sensors. A gap in the market was identified for an electronic interface between their sensors and industry-standard microcontrollers, including Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone.
This work resulted in a product capable of sampling gas concentrations to within +/- 5 parts per billion (ppb). Subsequent development of secure, real-time data retrieval and storage allows actionable environmental data reporting from anywhere in the world.
Historically South Coast Science has supplied products to research and academic organisations, such as the United Nations and Universities around the world. As a result of this work our background has been in science more than commercial markets.
We now present solutions stemming from this foundation in academic rigour and scientific discovery. Because we have developed all of our products using an open-source platform, these products can now be easily validated by our customers and integrated into their own systems.
Our core design is outstandingly effective at separating noise from environmental data
Accurate: Praxis devices are deployed in extremely hostile climates from Africa to Alaska and continue to provide robust data.
- Accurate: Praxis devices are deployed in extremely hostile climates from Africa to Alaska and continue to provide robust data.
- Reliable: Parts per billion monitoring in real-time with 24/7 remote device monitoring, back-up power options and secure data retrieval & delivery from anywhere in the world.
- Return on Investment: Our products are designed to operate with minimal on-site supervision and continue performing at an optimal level over their lifetime.
Separating Noise from Environmental Data
South Coast Science are early adopters of collocation with reference devices, in order to better understand and correct for the well-known temperature and humidity effects on electrochemical sensors.
This work has been escalated through the use of machine learning techniques. PM sensor correction is now finished and we anticipate completing gas sensor correction by end of Q1, 2020.
Automated error correction in real-time
- Using validated data interpretation algorithms, error correction is performed on the device and in real-time.
- Testing with co-located reference instruments shows a high degree of accuracy.
- Users have access to both raw and corrected data and can test against their own error correction methods to check the validity of the model.
Working with the UN
In 2017 the company collaborated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to develop the Praxis/Urban. This was a long-range, scientifically motivated, evaluation programme with stringent field trials in hostile environments and testing multiple use cases. As a result of this work we now have deployments throughout Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda.
For the UN, ‘field-ready’ meant more than simply a device that operates reliably in a specific environment. It required:
- Environment: the device must work in all intended operating environments and climates
- Infrastructure: the system and software must allow for uninterrupted data recording in the event of power cuts or loss of mobile signal and worldwide cellular communication of that data
- People: the device must be operable by (often non-technical) people in the field available to maintain it
We work with the UN on implementation of ambient air quality networks globally. We also work to develop a platform encouraging the public to replicate and contribute to the open-source designs. Our solutions are easy to operate and require minimum local support.
Product Roadmap
Since the development of the Praxis/Urban we have addressed the other main air quality sectors:
- Air quality surveying/roadside monitoring/smart-city
- Odour monitoring (wastewater treatment sites)
Products
The Praxis is the result of a working collaboration between ultra-low noise specialists, electrochemical sensor experts, and environmental scientists. Our software has its roots within best practice for commercial, cloud-centric middleware and big data management.
Using our robust Praxis ‘engine’ we are developing products that are optimised for the following applications:
- Ambient air quality
- Dust/roadside monitoring
- Environmental health/Smart City
Partners & Networks
We are proud that all South Coast Science software and data protocols are open source and this has led us to many fruitful partnerships and to seek out membership in networks of like minded organisations.