The most recent iphone app allows users to keep a tab on the air quality and see the level of pollutants around them.
University of Southern California computer scientists hope that as many users as possible download and try it in order to improve the software.
Currently, the download works for smartphones running the Android system and soon will be widely available on Android app sources. An iPhone app is in the works.
The basic principle of the Visibility app is simple, according to the paper documenting the work by USC computer science professor Gaurav Sukhatme.
The user takes a picture of the sky while the sun is shining, which can be compared to established models of sky luminance to estimate visibility.
Visibility is directly related to the concentration of harmful "haze aerosols," tiny particles from dust, engine exhaust, mining or other sources in the air. Such aerosols turn the blue of a sunlit clear sky gray.
There is one caveat- It has to be the right picture. The visibility/pollution models are based on the viewing geometry of the image and the position of the sun.
The Visibility app works because modern smartphones contain a rich set of sensors that include cameras, GPS systems, compasses and accelerometers, in addition to the powerful communication capabilities that are inspiring a slew of intelligent phone applications ranging from personal health monitoring to gaming and social networking.