Journal of Vocational, Informatics and Computer Education
Vol 4, No 1 (2026): March 2026

Integrating IoT-UAV Sensing with Sentinel-2 NDVI-NDBI Indices for Urban Air Quality Monitoring in Makassar

Putri Samad (Universitas Negeri Makassar)
Dewiani (Universitas Hasanuddin)
Hamdan Omar (Forest Research Institute)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Apr 2026

Abstract

Purpose - Urban air pollution in rapidly developing cities like Makassar requires high-resolution monitoring through IoT-UAV sensing and Remote Sensing to capture localized dynamics effectively. This study proposes and evaluates a multi-scale framework that integrates real-time mobile aerial sensing with Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and NDVI-NDBI indices to analyze how urban morphology modulates air pollutant distribution within the urban canopy layer. Methods - Air quality metrics (CO₂, PM2.5, and VOCs) were monitored at five urban sites in Makassar at three time intervals (08:00, 12:00, 16:00). Data were collected using vertical profiling from 1–20 m with 30-second sampling at each meter, generating over 5,000 data points. NDVI and NDBI were derived from Sentinel-2 L2A imagery (September 2024) using QGIS 3.34, and spatially validated by overlaying UAV coordinates to assess the influence of infrastructure density. Findings - The results identify the KIMA industrial estate and Jl. A.P. Pettarani highway as primary pollutant hotspots (ANOVA, p<0.001). These zones correlate strongly with high urban density (NDBI > 0.24) and minimal green canopy (NDVI < 0.13), confirming that dense infrastructure and the lack of vegetative carbon sinks drive localized pollutant accumulation. Vertical profiles demonstrate a negative concentration gradient, identifying atmospheric stability as a critical factor in surface-level pollutant stagnation. Research Implication - This multi-scale approach provides urban planners with a robust diagnostic tool for prioritizing green infrastructure. However, this study is limited by its single-city scope and a specific temporal window in September 2024. Future research should incorporate seasonal variations across monsoon cycles to evaluate long-term dispersion and washout patterns. Originality – This study contributes a novel synthesis bridging mobile aerial sensing with macro-level satellite indices, revealing a direct spatial correlation between urban structural density and pollutant stagnation that independent ground sensors or macro-satellites cannot detect independently

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

VOICE

Publisher

Subject

Computer Science & IT Education

Description

1. Informatics and Computing Research addressing the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of computing technologies relevant to educational, professional, and digital learning environments, including but not limited to: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Deep Learning and ...