Particulate matter, or PM, are particles 100x smaller than a grain of sand. They are small
enough to stay suspended in the air, harmfully entering our airways and bloodstream. The
World Health Organization says that 7 million premature deaths worldwide are attributed to PM
pollution. When we drive on the road, our tires kick up and resuspend PM such as brake dust,
tire wear, and asphalt particles, contributing to smog and poisoning our airways.
We are Team Caeli, and our goal is to prove that an on-car device which captures resuspended
particulate matter is an effective way to curb this health and environmental disaster. Our device
will use a vacuum-based collection system attached behind the tire to capture PM with high
efficiency as the car drives, keeping our airways free of this dangerous pollutant.