91ÑÇÉ«

This month marked the launch of the community co-design phase of AirWear, a research project investigating how wearable sensing technologies can improve understanding of particulate air pollution exposure while supporting healthier communities.

The project was awarded a 2026 Critical Perspectives in Global Health Seed Grant from the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research following its presentation at the Institute's Critical Perspectives in Global Health Workshop in May. The seed funding is supporting the development and evaluation of participatory methods that place community members at the centre of designing wearable environmental health technologies.

The first co-design workshops bring together Toronto residents to explore how wearable air pollution monitors should be designed, worn, and integrated into everyday life, as well as how personal exposure information can be communicated in ways that are meaningful, trustworthy, and useful. Participants are contributing directly to the design of the AirWear wearable, the MyAirWear community mapping platform, and the research methods that will be used in a larger community deployment planned for later this year.

You may also be interested in...