Introduction

In 2017 Camden published a tutorial on how to use the API in Camden's open data platform - check it out here. This tutorial looks at physical computing and how it can be used with the API to build an electronic air quality indicator so you can see at a glance what the current air quality in Camden is like.

This takes the form of three LEDs in a 'traffic light' formation that light up depending on the average air quality value taken from this dataset; it can be achieved with a Raspberry Pi computer, a few basic electronic components and a small Python script.

The tutorial that can be done at home, in schools or in coding clubs - ideas to expand this project are listed at the end of the tutorial.

To keep this tutorial brief, it assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of APIs, Python, Bash and electronics...there is a risk of damage to your Pi if you're not familiar with the GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) header so please do some research before attempting this tutorial.