Using moss and machine learning to purify air in cities

Speaker 1: Today, we're taking a look at a company that uses MOS and machine learning to filter out air pollution. In cities, we spoke to one of the company's co-founders to learn all about how it works, where it's being put to use and what comes next. Let's get into it. Speaker 2: Masses have been existing for millions of years, and they are one of the species that made it possible, uh, for [00:00:30] us to live and breathe under this earth. So they created the atmosphere. And the unique thing about masses is that they take the nutrients from the leaf surface. That's Speaker 1: Leon w co-founder and chief information officer of green city solutions. He shared with us how the company was able to create a suitable environment for MOS to grow within cities. We Speaker 2: Use specific sensors, which detect the humidity and the temperature, but also the pollution levels. And then [00:01:00] we have our own machine learning algorithm. It takes all the data collected from the various sensors and provides the masses with the perfect environment for them to grow in the city. So we adjust the humidity. We adjust how much air or ventilation goes through the mass. We can adjust the nutrient levels. Speaker 1: These innovations material realized into a product called the city tree. Speaker 2: It's like our wooden construction with MOS panels in sight. And with the help of sensors [00:01:30] and ventilation system, we are actively capable of filtering air pollution, especially particulate matter. And the Moes convert that air pollution into biomass. So literally eating the pollution Speaker 1: Li young tells me that the Moses inside city tree also cool the surrounding air temperature. Speaker 2: So if you think about Moes in the natural habitat, so in the forest, uh, they would take the humidity from the morning or the evening [00:02:00] Dew, and this is how they get the moisture. But the, a large leaf surface of the muscles also enables them to evaporate a lot of water. And this is the mechanism that we use in the city tree or in the city. So we give them more water than they would usually have. And the evaporation effect cools the ambient air temperature by up to 40 degrees, green Speaker 1: City solution claims that one city tree can reduce fine dust pollution by up to 53% [00:02:30] and filters air equivalent to the breathing volume of 7,000 people every hour. The inputs for that MOSY air purification are about four liters of water per operating hour, depending on the weather. And 100 and Watts of power city trees have already been put to use in some cities, here's where you can go find them and check 'em out for yourself. Speaker 2: At the moment, you can see them in Berlin, Oslo, London in Paris, or in cork island. We also had, [00:03:00] uh, pilot projects in Hong Kong. Speaker 1: However, the city tree and the MOS inside it do have some limitations. Speaker 2: There definitely is a certain level of pollution that the mosses wouldn't tolerate anymore. We haven't, uh, installed city trees in areas where the pollution has been that high, mainly because in Europe, there are no pollution hotpots that are that severe. So we might have to take a look, uh, for instance, to, to Asia, to India, or to China, where much more [00:03:30] severe pollution hotspots, but I'm very certain that our technology would be able to, uh, adapt the Moss. So that would, they would be able device as well. Speaker 1: Green city solutions also offers a combination MOS wall and LCD screen called city breeze that could be used to display things like advertisements or public service announcements. The company is also developing a modular, scalable MOS wall design called wall breeze expected to be completed or next year. Speaker 2: [00:04:00] So right now our business model focuses on selling a city tree and a one-off sale. So we approach customers who are looking for a solution. And then, um, they have the possibility to, to buy one city tree for, let's say, 40 to 50,000 euros. But our business model is shifting in a sense that we now of our rental. And then in the next step, we plan to use the solution to combine it for instance, with advertising or other, um, revenue, [00:04:30] recurring revenue models, so that the recurring revenue finances, the installation of the filter. So in the end, our goal is to make fresh air clean air free for all the residents and get the money from other sources. Speaker 1: So what's next for city tree? Our Speaker 2: Vision is that by 2030, so nine years, we are able to compensate up to 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. And our vision is, uh, climate infrastructure, [00:05:00] which spans of the city and collects information on their pollution levels, um, on the temperature and the humidity and with the climate infrastructure, we are then able to, um, target the pollution hotspots and the heat islands and improve the air quality hyper locally for the people, uh, spending time in that Speaker 1: SOS as always, thanks so much for watching I'm your host, Jesse, or see you next time with the fam.