Moss meets technology

Air filter and digital CityHub in one – the CityTree is the world’s first sustainable biotech air filter. It combines nature and technology, or more precisely moss and Internet of Things. And it filters up to 80 percent of particulate matter from the air. It also offers interfaces for network technology and digital signage.

The CityTree concepts has been developed by start-up and GreenTech pioneer Green City Solutions. The world’s first BioTech air filter ready for series production combines the properties of moss – the binding of particulate matter – and the Internet of Things (IoT). With the pilot project in Berlin, Green City Solutions aims to improve air quality, especially in cities. The CityTree purifies the air in its direct vicinity by up to 80 percent of particulate matter.

The start-up company explains: „Mosses have antibacterial properties and cool and clean the air we breathe in every day. In order to filter the air in the best possible way, our team has spent years researching the perfect moss mix“. Green City Solutions was supported by research partners such as the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research Leipzig (Tropos) and the Institute for Air and Refrigeration Technology Dresden (ILK).

Internet of Things (IoT) intelligence can be seen among other things in the built-in sensor platform. Integrated sensors deliver the data to display the filter performance in real time. Furthermore, the CityTree offers physical space and interfaces for further services: from cellular base stations or digital out of home screens to countless sensors and analysis solutions, almost everything is possible. Integrated Charging infrastructure for mobile devices and Electric Vehicles (EVs) are also planned.

Horizon 2020, the EU funding programme for research and innovation, supports the project. It is sponsored by Bettair Cities, a supplier of air quality sensors, among others. Well-known customers of Green City Solutions include Deutsche Telekom, the utilities provider Mainova, Deutsche Bahn and Swiss Federal Railways. Green City Solutions has received several awards, including the PropTech Innovation Award. The latest generation of CityTrees have been installed on several highly frequented streets and squares in Berlin.