Project GRASS aims to achieve “on-the-field” design, development, testing and validating of an innovative prototype of Graphene-Related Node for a Wireless Sensors Network, to be used as autonomous systems for Environmental Monitoring in different areas. The sensor is based on graphene that makes it very energy efficient, which is a major advantage in such components that need to be numerous and work continuously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YLSgyVH4cw

The project, along with all of its partners, are members of the Graphene Flagship, and at MWC 2016 we visited their stand and saw their graphene-based NO2 sensor, that as opposed to conventional sensors (that require continuous heating), needs no heating but does require UV light.

The project partners are:

      Piandbi: Formerly known as Libre, the company is the project coordinator. Piandbi is an Italian SME, skilled in providing integrated fully-tailored ICT solutions, both by hardware and by software, for many different application fields, including Environmental Monitoring. Libre’s staff also has a relevant experience on VI and VII FP, having been involved in 5 positively closed and 4 still running EU funded projects.

      Dyesol: (an Italian SME member of the Dyesol group of companies, leaders in commercialization of Dye Solar Cells). Dyesol Italia supplies laboratory manufacturing and testing equipment for research and development of DSC & ssDSC cells and devices. Dyesol created the graphene-enhanced DSSCsolar cell for the project.

      GRINP: an Italian SME located in Torino and specialized in developing and manufacturing atmospheric pressure plasma devices. It possesses expertise in different plasma technologies: PECVD, Glow Discharge, DBD and more.

     nvision: Spain-based SME that has developed a web based SW tool (DataAssist) that combines wireless sensors with the reach of the internet to enable powerful new environmental product developments. nVision developed the sofware for Project GRASS.

    University of Tartu: Estonia-based university in which graphene studies were initiated in 2008 through the collaboration with Aalto University. The university made the sensors for Project GRASS, and graphene was used for the part between the metals, changing resistivity according to the concentration of nitrogen in the air.