The air that's around us is, in the big scheme of things, rather important to us humans. As we're constantly breathing this air in and out, if it's of a consistency poor quality it can adversely affect our health and well-being. This is why monitoring the air quality inside our homes is so crucial. Which is where Awair comes into play.
Once installed, Awair, from San Francisco-based company Bitfinder, constantly monitors the air quality inside the home using a range of sensors. You can set Awair up to track the air quality with different purposes in mind, whether it's focused on reducing allergies or increasing productivity. It will then give you recommendations on how to change your behaviors to improve the air quality for that particular purpose.
Awair takes a number of readings, including the temperature, humidity, and the levels of dust, CO2, and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in the air. These are then combined to give an Awair Score, letting you know the overall quality of the air you're breathing in your own home.
Monitoring air quality is only useful if you can then use that data to fix it. Awair analyzes your behavior patterns, helping you make changes that will improve the air quality. Awair, like the similar Speck, can also be connected to a range of other smart home devices, such as thermostats, purifiers, humidifiers, filters, and fans, which will then work together to improve the air quality in your home.
Awair is designed to be inconspicuous, and resembles a stylish Bluetooth speaker. It's 6.3-inches (16 cm) wide, 3.54-inches (9 cm) tall, and 1.97-inches (5 cm) deep, and consumes less than 0.05 kWh of electricity every month. Awair connects to your smartphone or tablet (iOS 7 or later, Android 4 or later) via Wi-Fi, allowing you to set it up to your liking, and monitor the air quality at all times.
Awair is now available to pre-order. One costs US$149, two cost $259, and four cost $479. Bitfinder is aiming to deliver these units to customers in the Fall (Northern Hemisphere).
The video below shows Awair working, and explains some of the thinking behind the product.
Source: Awair