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So one thing that is important for cities is measuring air quality and air pollution

and this is something that can change dramatically from block to block even.

Roman Lachombe from Plume Labs designed a very, very small lightweight air quality sensor,

but the trick is how do you get those sensors into the air to test the air quality?

So Roman can you tell us how you did it?

We actually flew a pigeon air patrol over London, so we worked with a pigeon fence here in London and vets as well to make sure

the birds that we used were in the best condition possible and we stitched little

backpacks on harnesses that are designed for pigeons to wear and to carry a payload.

We made the censures as light as possible and for a period of three days in London the birds gathered the

level of pollution along the path that they would take to five from

central London all the way back to their home for

to speak.

I feel like we should just stop for a second, jump in and emphasize what we're talking

about right now is pigeons wearing tiny backpacks?

The same pigeons you see in any city across the country, these dirty sky rats wearing

backpacks.

So are these, are these just sort of regular everyday pigeons wearing backpacks?

No, no, no that's actually the key to the experiment here. They are professional pigeons, so to speak. They are literally

...