Architects-turned-coders develop tool to predict Mumbai's micro-climate changes

Walk into the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture KRVIA and the cool vibe is a stark contrast to the corporate ambience of its corridors The college is a hub of buzzing students milling about new ideas designs and creations This is not limited to the students though Down the corridor from the classrooms Assistant Professor Ankush Chandran is busy at work on a seemingly normal computer The data he is reading though tells another storyThe geomapped space in Aarey forestFor the last two years 31yearold Chandran and fellow professor and collaborator 55yearold Aneeruddha Paul have been working on a system that seeks to monitor urban microclimate ldquoWe started the selffunded project in 2022 and have now set up the equipment and sensors Over the last year or so we have been gathering steady data for computation and analysesrdquo Chandran revealsTool buildingThe project took off from another idea for a possible collaboration with organisations working in urban design realm in 2021 that Chandran was part of mdash the geomapping of Aarey Forest While the project is still in the planning stage the methodology of using artificial intelligence AI to analyse the data set the team on a different pathAnkush Chandran working the data at the computer lab PicsAnurag AhireThe result is a setup that tracks the biggest issue facing the city currently mdash climate change ldquoWe have sensors set up on a circuit box with an antenna on the terrace to monitor different parametersrdquo Chandran explains The twometre long antenna tracks solar radiation humidity temperature wind speed wind direction rainfall and atmospheric pressure He explains that the team is also working to include sound sensors in the next iteration ldquoData can vary drastically between neighbourhoods The amount of greenery around the buildings its location and even the structures can have an impactrdquo he explainsThis data is relayed to the server through GSM module implanted with a SIM card This is embedded in the sensor ldquoIt is basic mobile phone technology that enables the server to collate the data The relay time is liverdquo he saysSimplifying dataWith a large amount of data and so many parameters it was natural that the duo turned to AI for assistance ldquoThe struggle was to corelate such vast data to each other For instance if we had to sit down and corelate the temperature statistics with humidity or solar radiation at different points of time it would take us a large amount of manpower time and effortrdquo he admits There were challenges thoughA closeup of the sensors at KRVIAThe interface was built using ChatGPT4 and Python programming ldquoAs architects we are not proficient in coding It was a struggle to input the data and the commands in the initial stages But once the paths were set the results came in quickrdquo the architect remarksAt a time when citizens are confounded by the changing climate behaviour and sociologists are anxious about its effects on societal behaviour this information can offer crucial details ldquoThe idea is open this data up to public We are currently in early talks with the corporators across the city to take the pilot project furtherrdquo he sharesFrom analysing climate changes to unidentified neighbourhood issues or the effect of changing weather on standing structures and infrastructural systems at the neighbourhood and city level the potential is astounding For instance he remarks the rainfall in the city this season has been erratic ldquoIt is the one thing we track as a whimsy There have been moments when the rainfall is in extreme and the very next day it has dropped out of radar That is not usual for a July monsoonrdquo he observes ldquoIt can be helpful in designing urban landscapes future plans for a neighbourhood designed using materials and equipment that take into account the microclimate of the spacerdquo Chandran statesAs we conclude students are milling about their classes ldquoThey are already using AI with MiDjourney CityEngine among others in designs It is reshaping architecture studiesrdquo he admits Does that worry him ldquoI donrsquot think so We did have this conversation a few years ago Though we warn students against overdependence it is inevitable Why would you as an educator or innovator shy away from new technology It is inevitable and will soon be the moderdquo Chandran suggests It is hard to argue that pointWhat is itMicro climate sensors enable researchers to track data on changing climate parameters like humidity rainfall temperature solar radiation and atmospheric pressure to help monitor changing urban climateHow it worksThe sensors in the antenna collect data and transmit them through GSM chips to a remote server The data is compiled and the corelation between its parameters are measured by a programme module of ChatGPT4 to produce visual graphs and projectionsWho it affectsbenefitsThe technology can be used in a wide scope of fields from climate studies to urban research and architectural design