Air Quality

UNIVERSITY 2013

WWU + Anvil Studios

Silver winner - Spark Awards 2013

Four-person team project: Design a product or system that addresses a medical issue and makes use of 'smart' devices and the current culture of social media. Each should include a wearable tech item, a docking system, and an interface with a smartphone or other device. Pay special attention to user interface and the positioning of the wearable on the user's body.

Dust is gross, but the Environmental Protection Agency says you should be more concerned about the things you can’t see.

On the macro scale, you have very little control over the air you breathe.

On the smaller scale of your home and personal environment, you have a great deal of control.

However, indoor air is some of the most unhealthy air we breathe on a daily basis. The strategy was to start indoors.

Initial Sketching

We began with a piece of wearable technology that the user would carry with them to detect air quality levels.

Initial Form Development

Model No. 1

But What Is It?

The first model was a clip-based design intended for versatility of use. But in this first round of product testing, people weren't sure what the device was or how to use it.

Sketching Round No. 2

Taking the internal structure out of the first model, we realized it could be displayed on its own, but an easy-to-use and minimal clipping mechanism was needed for functionality.

An Aha! Moment

Why not mimic something that everyone already knows how to use? It turns out the best way to explore a clipping device that makes sense to everyone is a simple, universal paper clip.

Progression of Clip

From a bent paperclip, to a FDM printed prototype.

Final Prototype

Utilizing the easy-to-use clip with a cylindrical insert containing the necessary sensors.

Existing Products for a Detection System

Most homes in the United States don’t have systems in place to monitor these types of air pollutants. And if they do, they’re all separate entities.

Why not take advantage of existing detectors and combine them into one system?

Thermostat charging dock

Charging dock alerts user about air quality concerns in the home.

A family of sensors throughout the home.

These would be wirelessly interconnected and able to facilitate maximum functionality of the system for the user.

This project is about micro-environments.

Even when you leave your home, the air around you continues to be part of your micro-environment. Sensors communicate with smartphones and computers, creating a multi-device platform which allows user to monitor air quality anywhere they go.

The device then travels with the user to dock and charge on the home thermostat, creating a level of awareness and giving the user tools to problem solve. This system is like preventative healthcare for you, and your home.