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Seoul City Government in South Korea launched DustSee: an AR app for smartphone cameras which allows users to see a visual representation of fine dust in the air. The micro-particles are invisible to the naked eye, and the app also offers real-time ‘fine dust status’ of the users’ locations.

If you’ve ever visited Asia, you might have noticed that wearing facemasks is more common there. Usually it’s a way of being polite when sick and not passing on a cold, and sometimes it’s even a fashion statement – but over the years they’re increasingly used to guard against fine particle pollution. However, research suggests that as little as 37% of people bother to wear masks when the air dust level is classified as ‘bad’. By showing the levels of pollution in the air, the government hopes DustSee will encourage people to take preventative measures.  

And, don’t think this trend is irrelevant if you’re not in Asia. Consumer awareness is on the rise globally: UK-based searches related to air pollution rising 750% over the past decade. Also beyond this specific use case, this is yet another example of how smartphones are empowering people to take control of their health. Their staggeringly high-quality sensors can expose many things that have previously been invisible. With consumers looking more and more to brands (or in this case, the government) to lead the way in healthy living, ask yourselves: “What new information could we make visible that would help customers help themselves?”

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