Cork should scrap 'robot trees' if air quality claims cannot be verified, says expert

City Tree devices were installed to much publicity and equal criticism in the city centre in August 2021 at a cost of just over €400,000

Designed to filter the air and absorb the toxic pollutant called particulate matter from the air by moss filters, the robot trees also have in-built sensors used to collate air quality data for analysis. Picture: Cork City Council

Cork City Council should consider getting rid of the so-called “robot trees” in the city centre if their air quality improvement claims cannot be verified, said one of the country’s leading scientists.

City Tree devices were installed to much publicity and equal criticism in Cork city centre in August 2021 at a cost of just over €400,000, as part of a local authority initiative to provide more greening of the city.