Air pollution is one of the most pressing public health challenges facing urban areas today, so designing infrastructure that tackles this problem is key to ensuring a sustainable future for our cities.  We’ve previously seen such innovations in the form of air-purifying advertising banners, and now we’re happy to introduce to you another urban air purification system — one that takes the shape of a bus stop.

Called CAPS 2.0, the invention is essentially a bus shelter that filters air pollution in a city, removing airborne allergens and killing viruses, bacteria, and fungi in a matter of seconds. The air-purifying bus station is the product of a collaboration between technology developer Sinno Inno Lab and engineering firm Arup, and its mission is to improve air quality in cities with state-of-the-art filtration and sanitization technologies.

Following the first prototype from 2015, the patented second-generation system works by drawing in surrounding polluted air and creating an invisible shield-like air curtain at the canopy’s edge, while generating air currents within that space to purify the air.

The futuristic bus shelter then internally purifies the air with its dual protection technology, plascide air sanitizer, and multi-HEPA air purifier, all of which remove harmful suspended particles and eliminate viruses.

According to Sinno Inno Lab, the public air filtration system has been proven to reduce pollution exposure by 50 percent and remove 99.95 percent of PM0.1 airborne allergens.

“A smart city solution must aesthetically fit in with its urban surroundings,” explained Charis Ng, designer of CAPS 2.0. “We are pleased with how we managed to incorporate all the technological innovations in a modern and sleek design — including multiple air purification and sanitization systems, real-time display panels, solar panels, and more. The current CAPS 2.0 bus shelter looks exceptional against Hong Kong’s skyline.”