Dutch designer plans to extend smog sucking technology to city bikes

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde is back in the spotlight, with an announcement about the next phase of his Smog Free Project: a bike that removes particulate matter from the air.

Roosegaarde, known for his “smog vacuum cleaner” proposal for Beijing in 2013, has since developed an air-purifying tower, recently unveiled in Tianjin. Smog Free Tower uses positive ionisation to remove particulate matter from the surrounding air, expelling purified air through vents in the side.

In an interview with the Guardian, Roosegaarde shared plans to extend his smog-sucking technology to bikes, and hopes it will be adopted by China’s bike sharing schemes including Mobike, Bluegogo and Ofo. Smog-free bikes could be a way to activate communities towards creating greener cities, the designer said.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 80 per cent of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed the WHO limits.