Pollen robots help hayfever sufferers

The viewing of cherry blossoms is an age-old past time among the Japanese, occurring for a few weeks at the beginning of each spring. The flowers are considered to be a symbol of the fleeting nature of beauty. However for millions of Japanese, spring isn't about the sight of cherry blossoms and the sweet smell of flowers filling the air. It's a time of huge and largely invisible clouds of cedar pollen that will send them into fits of sneezing, eye-rubbing and nose-blowing. Health experts believe Japan has one of the highest incidences of cedar pollen allergy in the world, affecting from 10 to 20 percent of the population, according to the 1998 survey by Japanese Environmental Ministry. In Tokyo, where about one in every five people suffer from the allergy, the problem is tantamount to an epidemic. But there is no cure. According to weather association officials, cedar starts producing large amounts of the yellowish, powdery pollen in late January and the process continues until May, with the peak being mid-March. The inflammation caused by the pollen can cause extreme discomfort. Many sufferers complain they can't sleep at night and have difficulty concentrating during the day. That often translates into decreased productivity during the spring months, with people calling in sick or leaving the office early to nurse their symptoms. Pollen forecasts have become a standard part of many TV weather programmes. When the pollen is heavy, forecasters frequently advise their audiences to wear glasses and surgical masks, and dust off their clothes when they get home. Weathernews Japan, Japan's division of the global weather information provider, has been using spherical detectors to monitor the amount of pollen in the air since 2005. Called the Pollenbot, this ball-shaped pollen detector changes the colour of its eyes once it detects pollen circulating in the air. This year, the company installed 700 pollen bots across Japan to monitor the amount of allergens in the atmosphere and update their data second by second. Hospitals, schools and households across the country volunteered to install the pollenbot under roofs or balconies. Naoko Taki, of Weathernews Information, says the data collected allows them to create more accurate forecasts. "The pollen circulation is not something you can see with your eyes. So, it was not easy to find out how and where it is flying. With this so many numbers of robots installed across the country, we can actually see how and where the pollen circulates. With this data, we can give more accurate pollen forecast. We can now forecast how many pollens will circulate in one day or more pin-pointed information such as the pollen peak time at one specific location." Using laser technology, the machine counts the number of pollen particles which are blown into the ball. It also uses sensors to monitor the local temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity. The ball is connected to the company computer system by broadband. With this comprehensive information, the company can begin to compile a pollen forecast allowing allergy sufferers to plan their day accordingly. Teruyoshi Hayamizu of the Japanese Environmental Ministry says the government takes the issue very seriously as pollen allergies mean many work days are lost. "The pollen fever affects the condition of the person and it could be led to the damage on society as the patients cannot work need to take a day off. So, the government looked at the matter seriously and are now trying to deal with the situation."—AP