Chemical sensing offers a gateway into the complex world of molecular based information. Sensing strategies are paramount in achieving this outside the confines of restrictive laboratory settings. Two key strategies are adopted in this work, which are generically applicable across multiple applicable areas. This work initially focused on the application of networked sensors for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from landfill sites at a sampling rate of 4/day. The findings of this study showed that the existing practice of sampling (4/year) is inadequate for detecting emission breaches and offers more information towards understanding landfill dynamics. Digital imaging may offer a lower cost alternative to the current sensing model due to the recent pervasive nature of technologies such as mobile phones. However, chemical sensing employing this technology remains largely unexplored. This study examines the potential of this new area of chemical sensing using several exemplar platforms. Firstly, a mobile sensing robotic fish is used to patrol a water body detecting chemical contaminants en-route. Secondly, imaging of wearable colourresponsive sensors is explored as a means to monitor the pH of an athlete’s sweat in real time. Finally, analysis of chemical gradients along microfluidic channels is evaluated through digital imaging of chemo-responsive films.