Do You Know What's in Your Home's Air?

As of the last 50 years, most American homes have alarms for smoke and carbon monoxide (CO). But the latest data makes it clear this is not enough. Indoor air pollution is a global health risk, and the EPA has identified more than two dozen air pollutants commonly found indoors. When you consider we spend an estimated 90% of our time inside, managing indoor air is of major importance. 

With so many pollutants to think about, it’s not reasonable to buy a new sensor for each one. That’s why we’re launching IAQ; because it shouldn’t be difficult to know what's in the air you breathe in your home.

What Is IAQ?

IAQ is a small indoor air quality monitor that measures more than 20 air pollutants, providing unprecedented transparency into your indoor air quality. It requires zero setup, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere. You can place it in your home, business, factory, lab, or anywhere with a power outlet and get an immediate real-time view of what's in the air you're breathing. 

There is currently no other device on the market that compares with the simplicity of IAQ. Other sensors have high upfront costs, offer limited measurement capabilities, or use abstraction or estimates to compensate for low-quality data. IAQ provides high-quality, accurate air quality measurements at an affordable cost that homeowners insurance companies often provide discounts for.

What Does IAQ Measure?

The items measured by IAQ are commonly found in homes across America and can have a dramatic effect on the quality of air breathed by millions every day.

How IAQ Helps Create a Healthy Home

IAQ empowers you to understand and take control of your indoor air quality by putting the data in your hands and prompting you with recommended actions. IAQ can be configured to send alerts when air quality changes or automatically trigger additional actions when integrated with other smart home devices.

Easily view your air quality information in a dashboard, receive alerts, trigger home automations, and much more through the IAQ website or app. You can even access your data using existing apps like Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Smart Things, and more.

How It Works

The IAQ device includes an array of sensors that are connected to a microcontroller that logs the data when plugged into a power outlet. An included cellular connection is used to send the data to the cloud. 

This means no internet, WiFi, or bluetooth connection is required, saving you time and money. There is no additional equipment needed or integration with other systems required, and IAQ data is not subject to the reliability of local wireless connections. 

The data is then processed in the cloud and visible via the IAQ website or mobile app. You can also set up alerts and automations based on the data via the website, mobile app, or familiar platforms like Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Smart Things, and more.

Easy Setup

Ease of use and accessibility were top-of-mind when we were developing this device. This is because the populations most vulnerable to poor air quality (e.g., elderly, young persons) are often the least able or empowered to take action.

We believe anyone should be capable of using an IAQ device, no matter their age or ability, because everyone deserves to know what's in their indoor air.

Specifications

For Developers & Makers

All the data measured by IAQ will be available in real-time through our REST API. You can use this API to connect your sensor to home automation hubs like Smart Things, Home Assistant, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, Amazon Alexa, and much more.

This API can also trigger powerful automations, trigger Alexa routines, or even notify emergency services. With a powerful API connection to your IAQ data, the options are limitless.

How We Got Here

With a huge increase of people spending more time than ever at home, we set out to understand what was in the indoor air we are all increasingly breathing.

We were surprised to learn just how many pollutants commonly exist in our homes, in unknown, ever-increasing concentrations. We also recognized that it would be nearly impossible and very impractical for most people to know, let alone have to measure each one individually.

Additionally, we came to the sad realization that our elderly parents/grandparents and young children are most vulnerable to low air quality, but these are also the communities least capable of doing anything about it.

The IAQ Mission

Our mission is to deliver a sensible approach to measuring and taking control of indoor air quality. Despite strong support for global climate change initiatives, we realized that the local environment in our homes is still a relative unknown. We started IAQ because we believe making the world healthier and cleaner starts in your own home.

History of IAQ

We built our first prototypes in early 2020. These devices used common off-the-shelf components like Arduino and Raspberry Pi connected to sensors from Mouser and Pimoroni.

Extensive tests were run for the next year to battle test the software, test new sensors, calibrate sensors, and improve operational efficiencies to bring this product to market.

Where We Are Now

As of early 2023, we have our final case designed and prototyped, our single computer board selected and sourced, and our sensors designed and sourced.

We are currently capable of building 50 units a week, limited only by labor to assemble. We have some flexibility in case design and choice of sensors. Additionally, we are embedding technology in each IAQ that improves over time with over-the-air updates.

How We'll Build It

A single computer board for our device has been sourced from three different providers: one in the US, one in the UK, and one in China. This has allowed us to achieve a supply of 1,000 units per month even with the global microchip shortage.

Our sensors come from reliable suppliers including Bosch and Sensirion. Our case is 3D printed with Prusa 3D Printers. This is a strong, scalable, cost-effective, and renewable approach. The devices are hand assembled at our headquarters in San Diego, California by trained IAQ staff. Each unit will be powered on and tested before being shipped to a customer.​

The Future

IAQ will initially focus on easy-to-use sensors that detect the most common air contaminants. Over time, we aim to add more sensors and strengthen existing ones. For example; a sensor that can be configured with the existing device microphone to detect if an alarm is going off, or to alert someone to elevated sound levels.

During initial release, data will be accessible via website only. The official IAQ app will be released later in 2023. We also anticipate adding and strengthening integrations with home automation platforms to make automations even easier for users.

We also foresee broadening the use case for this device. For example, a rugged case that can be used outdoors to protect the equipment against the elements, allowing it to be used in most outdoor situations. We are also envisioning a battery-powered option to take advantage of the device’s low power usage, allowing it to be used out in the field or anywhere power is not readily available.

Societal Impact

The data produced by a growing network of IAQ devices has powerful implications beyond providing families a read on what's in their indoor air. At scale, IAQ data could inform public policy related to emissions or building regulations. As it stands, the air quality data available to most legislative bodies primarily comes from a small number of local outdoor air sensors.

Rich, anonymized data produced by a network of IAQ devices could be used to help government address intensifying climate-related concerns such as:

● Wildfires

● Pollution events

● Tornados/high winds

● Flooding

In the long run, we believe IAQ can contribute to higher societal awareness of the importance of air quality.

Funding

We've set a goal of $2,500 for this campaign. Our expectation is to spend approximately 80% of funds on production and labor to create new IAQ devices. The remaining 20% will cover shipping and fulfillment, as well as fees, such as those owed to Indiegogo and any affiliate partners.

This campaign continues our momentum from Kickstarter, where IAQ raised more than $20,000 in crowdfunding in May. 

Risks & Challenges

Should two or more of our three computer board suppliers be affected, the worldwide chip shortage may have an impact on our production timeline. Further lab testing, including calibration for different geographic locations, may be required.

The radon sensor in the device is currently undergoing certification. In the case that this review is still in-process upon device shipment, simple home testing kits will be sent at no cost to be used by customers in the interim. The federal government recommends testing for radon once annually.

The speed of shipping may vary from country to country. Our team is making arrangements to expedite shipping now so that we can provide the best service for our backers when we reach our funding goal.

We’re confident we will deliver a high-quality device within our stated timeline. We promise to keep our backers updated and informed about any issues that arise and how we’re addressing them.

How You Can Contribute

We would be honored to receive your support for IAQ. However, if you don't have the money or are not interested in purchasing an IAQ device, you can still help us further our mission of raising awareness about indoor air quality. Here are a few suggestions:

• Share this project with your networks. Use the Indiegogo share buttons to get the word out!
• Make a small donation. We accept any contribution, even if you aren't ordering a device.
• Subscribe to our email list to receive exclusive content and updates on IAQ
• Visit the IAQ blog to learn more about air quality

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