AI-Powered Air Quality Meter Helps Monitor Indoor Pollutants

There currently exists many smart home devices designed to help us live more efficient and productive lives. In fact, smart devices are so common place now it might be hard not to find a home appliance that does not offer a smart solution. One category of gadgets which gained popularity since the start of the pandemic is air quality meters. With more people staying home and becoming more aware of their health, monitoring the air they are breathing indoors became another way to improve their well-being.

Studies have actually shown indoor air can be five times more polluted than outdoor air and nine out of ten homes have poor air quality. Furthermore, good air quality allows one to sleep better, increases energy levels, improves concentration, and lowers one’s risk of allergies. A new device looking to get funded on Kickstarter is offering users a better way to help manage their indoor air quality. Meet Nooku.

Nooku is a modular device meant to sit on a shelf or table top and consists of three main parts. There is a small base also known as the monitor. This unit is about the size of an Amazon Echo Dot and is equipped with a variety of integrated sensors for monitoring air quality. This includes temperature, relative humidity, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and nitrous oxides. Next, a larger module called the guide sits on top of the monitor to create more of an egg shaped device. The guide adds more functionality to the overall device. It includes CO2 sensors and PM 1-10 sensing capabilities. It features a touchscreen for monitoring and interacting with the device as well. Lastly, there is the sidekick, a playful cap type of device which sits on top of the device. The first example of this shows the cap as a pair of ears that when placed on top of the module, turns the device into an animated bear. The animation will do things such as sneeze when it detects a lot of dust or pollutants in the air or yawn when CO2 levels are on the rise.

More importantly, Nooku reports the air quality information in a way that is meaningful and easy to understand. In addition to having numerical data available, the overall air quality is reported as great, good, okay, poor, or bad. It will also learn trends and offer advice and tips on how to improve air quality. This is where the artificial intelligence comes in. For example, if around the evening every day the device detects there is an increase in VOC levels in the kitchen it will associate that with the user cooking dinner. As a result, it may suggest opening a window or turning on an extractor fan to help maintain healthy air quality levels. All this info is communicated via the display on the modular device or through the associated app.

The project has already been partially funded by the Innovative UK Clean Air Programme. Kevin O’Malley, innovation lead of clean growth and infrastructure at Innovate UK stated, “The project has consistently impressed in its innovation, its design, and with its commercial potential. The team at nooku have demonstrated a thorough understanding and genuine commitment to the Clean Air agenda, and I have high expectations for their future success.”

Interested readers can still back the project on Kickstarter. The most basic system starts at $80 and includes the nooku monitor and associated app. To receive the monitor, the guide module, and sidekick cap it will cost $255. Three additional options are available, all of which include larger quantities of devices and range in value from $325 to $685.