We’ve seen an incredible number of homemade environmental monitors here at Hackaday, and by and large they tend to follow a fairly predictable pattern. An ESP8266 will be paired with a common temperature and humidity sensor, maybe a custom PCB will be invited to the party and the end result will be some values output via MQTT. It’s a great weekend project to get your feet wet, but not exactly groundbreaking in 2022.
That’s why we find out the AERQ project [Mircea-Iuliu Micle] so refreshing. Not only does this device capture temperature and humidity as you would expect, but its Bosch BME688 sensor can also sniff out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gases like carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The spec sheet actually claims this is the “first artificial intelligence (AI) gas sensor,” and while we’re not sure exactly what that means in this context, it’s a claim that appears to be priced in excess of $15 a piece justifies individual quantities.
But not only the chic sensor distinguishes AERQ from the competition. Rather than a member of the ubiquitous ESP family, it uses the Wio-E5, a relatively exotic STM32 package that integrates a long-range LoRa radio. [Mircea-Iuliu] has paired that with a Linx USP-410 chip antenna or, depending on which version of the four-layer PCB you want to use, a u.Fl connector for an external antenna. The whole thing is powered by a simple USB connection and the Mbed OS firmware is set up to dump all the data collected on The Things Network.
All in all, it’s a very professional build that certainly wouldn’t look out of place embedded in an off-the-shelf air quality monitor. While the high-end detection capabilities might be a bit over the top for home use, [Mircea-Iuliu Micle] notes that AERQ could provide useful insights for those running indoor events as COVID-19 transitions to its endemic stage.
#LoRa #Air #Quality #Monitor #raises #bar #DIY #IoT Source
