A

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

REPORT
ON
“REAL TIME AIR POLLUTION MONITORING USING DRONE”

Submitted to the

UNIVERSITY OF PUNE

In partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
In
Electronics and Telecommunication

By

1. Abhishek Karambelkar(S40070390 / SE-1-63)

2. Anish Kherdikar(S40070395 / SE-1-68)
3. Fanaa Jain (S40070383 / SE-1-58)
4. Anahita Khopade(S40070396 / SE-1-69)
5. Atharva Deshmukh(S40070357 / SE-1-35)

Under the guidance of

Prof. R.K.Patil
Prof. U.A.Walke
Department of Electronic & Telecommunication
PVGCOET & GKPIM,Pune

Pune, Maharashtra 411009

2024-25
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Mini-Project Report entitled

“TITLE OF THE Mini-PROJECT
has been successfully completed by

1. Abhishek Karambelkar(S40070390 / SE-1-63)

2. Anish Kherdikar(S40070395 / SE-1-68)
3. Fanaa Jain (S40070383 / SE-1-58)
4. Anahita Khopade(S40070396 / SE-1-69)
5. Atharva Deshmukh(S40070357 / SE-1-35)

towards the partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics

and Telecommunication as awarded by the Savitribai Phule Pune University, at Pune
Vidyarthi Griha’s College of Engineering during the academic year 2020-2021.

Prof. R. K. Patil & Prof.U.A.Walke Dr. P. G. Shete

PBL Guide/ Coordinator Head, Department Of E&TC

Place: Pune

Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to extend our thanks to Rathod sir for providing the essential
components like the battery and the frame of the drone and also for the
continuous support throughout the project.

Special thanks to Neerad Ahire of TE - ENTC for providing the necessary

knowledge and guidance about the basics of quadcopter, Remote control
handling and the battery details as well.

Lastly, we would like to thank Prof. R.K.Patil, Prof. V.U.Gongane and Prof.
U.A.Walke for providing their expertise and guidance throughout the 7-8
weeks of the PBL project.

1. Abhishek Karambelkar(S40070390 / SE-1-63)

2. Anish Kherdikar(S40070395 / SE-1-68)
3. Fanaa Jain (S40070383 / SE-1-58)
4. Anahita Khopade(S40070396 / SE-1-69)
5. Atharva Deshmukh(S40070357 / SE-1-35)
 CONTENTS

1. Introduction 1-10
1.1 Introduction

1.2 Objective

1.3 Motivation

1.4 Problem Defination

2. Literature Survey

2.1 Review of technical paper referred/Field visit if any

2.2 Conclusion on review

3. Project System Design Methodology

3.1 Specifications

4. Development and Testing

4.1 System Design

4.2 Connecction Daigram

4.3 Block Diagram

5. Results & Photographs

6. Conclusions and Future Scope

7. Bill of Material

References

Appendix

Datasheets

ABSTRACT
This project introduces the concept, design, and development of a
quadcopter drone capable of real-time air pollution monitoring. The primary
goal is to integrate air quality assessment with aerial surveillance using a
compact and efficient system. At the core of the drone lies an Arduino UNO
microcontroller, which acts as the central processing unit, along with the
MPU-6050 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor, which ensures the
drone’s stability and orientation during flight.

To detect and measure air pollutants, the drone is equipped with the
PMS5003 particulate matter sensor, which provides accurate and real-time
measurements of PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations. Unlike gas-
based sensors, the PMS5003 is highly effective in detecting fine particulate
matter, making it ideal for monitoring pollution caused by vehicular
emissions, industrial activities, and environmental hazards such as wildfires
and dust storms. The combination of the PMS5003 and MPU-6050 enables
the drone to maintain stable flight while collecting precise air quality data
across various altitudes and locations.

This innovative solution provides a flexible and mobile platform for

environmental monitoring, especially in hard-to-reach or high-risk areas.
The real-time data collected by the drone can be transmitted to a ground
station or stored for further analysis, supporting informed decision-making
in research, policy planning, and public health management.

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction to Project

This project explores the innovative use of drone technology by integrating
an Arduino UNO microcontroller as the core processing unit. By designing a
quadcopter drone equipped with an MQ-135 air quality sensor, the system is
capable of collecting real-time air pollution data across large and diverse
areas. The mobility of the drone allows for dynamic air quality monitoring,
particularly in densely populated urban regions, where fixed monitoring
stations may fall short. This approach can help identify pollution hotspots
and sources more effectively, contributing to better environmental
management and public health awareness.

1.2 Objective of the work

• To design and develop a drone capable of monitoring Air pollution.

• To equip drone with sensor to get real time data.
• To contribute to environmental protection and public health awareness
by providing accurate air quality data.
• To provide Innovative, smart and helpful solution for monitoring air
quality.
• Gaining hands-on experience on drones and knowledge for future
enhancement.

1.3 Motivation behind project topic

 Drones offer cost-effective, flexible, and high-resolution air quality

monitoring.

 Traditional stations are expensive and have limited coverage.

 Drones can access hard-to-reach areas and monitor large regions in real
time.

 Enable faster response, better pollution tracking, and accurate decision-

making.

 Improve public health and environmental protection.

 Useful in emergency situations like gas leaks or industrial disasters.

  Enhance the overall cost-efficiency of air quality monitoring efforts.

1.4 Problem Definition

Air pollution is a major global concern, severely impacting human health

and the environment. Traditional air quality monitoring stations are limited
in coverage and do not provide real-time data, making it difficult to detect
pollution hotspots or respond quickly to rising pollution levels.
To address this issue, we propose the use of a drone equipped with a
PMS5003 particulate matter sensor to gather real-time air pollution data
across different regions. This approach enables flexible, wide-area
monitoring and supports more effective decision-making in pollution
management by providing accurate, on-the-fly insights into PM1.0, PM2.5,
and PM10 concentrations.

Sr No. Reference Seed Idea Problems Authors

Name Found
1 Unmanned Using drones UAVs are Naser Hossein
Aerial Vehicles for air costly, so Motlagh
for Air pollution due making them
Pollution to their affordable is
 Monitoring: A flexibility and the necessity.
Survey efficiency.
2. Enhancing air The proposed Accuracy of Murat Bakirci
pollution approach for low cost
mapping with simulating air sensors,
autonomous pollution Caliberation
UAV networks measurements issues, Data
for extended using a multi- Integration and
coverage and UAV system Aanlysis
consistency
2. LITERATURE SURVEY

2.1 Review of technical paper

The paper "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Air Pollution Monitoring: A

Survey" discusses the use of UAVs for air pollution monitoring, highlighting
their flexibility and efficiency, while emphasizing the need for affordability
to make them widely accessible. "Enhancing Air Pollution Mapping with
Autonomous UAV Networks for Extended Coverage and Consistency"
proposes a multi-UAV system to improve air pollution mapping, addressing
challenges like sensor accuracy, calibration, and data integration.

2.2 Conclusion on review

Both papers highlight the potential of UAVs for air pollution monitoring,
with the first focusing on their flexibility and the need for affordability,
while the second discusses using multi-UAV systems to improve coverage
and consistency. Challenges like high costs, sensor accuracy, and data
integration remain, but advancements in technology and calibration are key
to making UAV-based monitoring more effective and accessible.

3.SYSTEM SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENT

• Software to code the Arduino for sensors was Arduino IDE

Hardware Requirements:

Drone Frame (Quacopter) with motors and ESCs

Arduino UNO- 16Mhz

PMS5003 (Gas Sensor)

GPS Module (optional, for location tagging)

Battery Pack (Li-Po)

Flight Controller

4. SYSTEM DESIGN
The BLDC Motors are connected to ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers),
whose wires are soldered on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). The PCB
distributes power from the battery to all the ESCs as per the required
specifications.

The ESC interprets signals from the flight controller to determine the
desired speed and direction of the motors. It regulates the power supplied to
the BLDC motors based on the input received, controlling both speed and
direction.

Arduino UNO is mounted on the drone and is powered by the battery. It

serves as the flight controller and processes sensor data to stabilize the
flight.

The MPU 6050 module is a Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

device that consists of a 3-axis Accelerometer and a 3-axis Gyroscope. It
provides data regarding the drone’s orientation (pitch, roll, yaw) and
movement, which is critical for stabilizing the drone during flight.

The Arduino UNO processes the data from the MPU 6050 to determine the
drone’s orientation and movement. It then sends commands to the motors to
adjust the drone's position and maintain flight stability.

The remote controller communicates wirelessly with the receiver mounted

on the drone. The controller sends signals (usually via radio frequency,
e.g., 2.4 GHz) to control movements such as throttle, pitch, roll, and yaw.

The receiver on the drone interprets these radio signals and converts them
into corresponding commands to control the motors and other components.
This allows the drone to maneuver according to the inputs from the pilot.

One pair of diagonally opposite motors (e.g., front-left and rear-right) rotates
in the same direction (e.g., clockwise), while the other pair (e.g., front-right
and rear-left) rotates in the opposite direction (anti-clockwise) for better
stability and mobility during flight.

PMS5003 Sensor is mounted on the drone and connected to the Arduino

UNO. It continuously measures particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in the
air, which is crucial for monitoring air quality. The sensor works by drawing
air into its internal chamber, where it uses a laser scattering method to
count and size the particles.
The Arduino UNO reads the data from the PMS5003 sensor and processes
it to determine the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 particles in the air.
This data is then transmitted to the ground station or cloud server via the
communication module (e.g., Wi-Fi or LoRa).

4.2 CONNECTION DIAGRAM

4.3 System Block Diagram /Architecture
Diagram
5. PHOTOGRAPH
 FUTURE SCOPE
• Drone Development and Fabrication: Development of drones with
enhanced endurance and efficiency.
• Sensor Integration: Adoption of multi-sensor systems for detecting a
wider range of pollutants. Also using Barometer for enabling Altitude
Hold function in quadcopter.

• Flight Controller: Using STM32 for flight controller as it’s response

time is way better than Arduino UNO (3 times better).

• Testing and Calibration: Field testing in diverse environmental

conditions for better accuracy.

CONCLUSION

In summary, integrating drones into real-time air pollution monitoring

represents a significant advancement in environmental surveillance
and public health protection. Their mobility and versatility allow for
efficient data collection across diverse environments, making them
invaluable tools in addressing both routine and emergency air quality
challenges.