Electrical engineering and computer sciences professor Richard White, mechanical engineering department chair Albert Pisano, graduate student Jonathan Rheaume, and David Walther, a research engineer with the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Sensor Center , are launching an effort to develop a carbon monoxide sensor for cell phones. Eventually, a combination cell phone/CO detector could enable environmental scientists to monitor and track pollution across densely populated urban centers.

Once Honicky and Newton determine if their system will scale to millions of users, the next step is to convince manufacturers to participate. Honicky hopes that incentive will come from the opportunity to do well by doing good. And once the potential privacy concerns about tracking the location of users are worked out, he's convinced that the public will be eager to join in.

"I think the biggest driver for individuals is that they get to participate in a social cause," he says. "That's especially true if they know that just by carrying around cell phones they could, for example, potentially help scientists understand and hopefully reduce pollution around their homes."