IoT device "Laser Egg" that monitors air quality by counting fine particles in the air one by one with laser technology
Did you know that 92% of the population breathes unhealthy air and 17,280 people die from air pollution every day?
It may sound a little exaggerated, but the fact is that more people die from air pollution than from malaria, AIDS and road accidents combined. Breathing bad air kills millions of lives each year.
Cities in India and China have been hit the hardest, and Asia is in dire straits. Polluted air kills or causes chronic illness in cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. Various governments have taken a number of measures to try to stem the problem, but with little success, it continues to get worse. The situation is getting even more tense, with some studies predicting that Bangalore and Delhi will become uninhabitable by 2030.
Permanent solutions are not realistic, but timely and regular updates about the air quality around you may help you make sound environmental decisions and improve.
Beijing-based IoT-enabled healthcare startup Kaiterra Global is helping to achieve this goal. The company develops air quality monitors that measure a wide range of contaminants in the air for consumer and business and industrial applications. These devices allow users to better understand the air quality around them and continuously send pollution data to the cloud. The data sent is processed and combined with data from official observation stations, satellites and other sources to create outdoor air quality maps.
Liam Bates, co-founder and CEO of Kaiterra Global, told e27.
Our goal is to improve outdoor air quality globally. And it is inevitable that India, which has serious air pollution, will be the place.
Founded in 2014, Kaiterra's product allows you to visually track how pollutants are created and how they move, trying to pinpoint specific sources of pollution. This information can also be used to take action and reduce pollution sources. The company's Laser Egg series of products help users better understand the air quality in their homes. We are currently working on a series of new products that can provide a complete monitoring solution.
Laser Egg is a smart air quality monitor that detects fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with high precision. Even if you can't see it, there are harmful things. Smoke and other particles, including dust and PM2.5, are constantly affecting the air around us and in our homes. Laser Egg instantly and accurately tells you what's in the air so you can make better decisions to improve your surroundings. (Bates)
Swiss-born Bates has a number of TV shows on Travel Channel China and Discovery Channel, exploring traditional lifestyles and changing cultures, from the jungles of Indonesia to the steppes of Kazakhstan.
When activated, the Laser Egg emits a laser-based light that counts individual particles in the air and calculates PM2.5 concentrations based on the measurements. This allows for quick measurements with high-precision measurements calculated every 0.1 seconds.
We take air seriously. Laser Egg has been carefully tested to ensure your home is well protected. It can measure particle concentrations and AQI values to within plus or minus 10% of what the much more expensive government instruments indicate. (Bates)
One of the unique features of the Laser Egg is that it can be paired with the Kaiterra app for ease of use and control, whether at home or on the go. With just a tap, you can see the air quality values for your home or local area. The app allows you to view historical graphs by minute, hour or day to help you make smarter decisions.
He explained:
Laser Egg supports Apple's Homekit technology to securely work with other smart home appliances in your home. No more worrying about when to turn on the air purifier when the air is dirty or when to turn on the humidifier when the air is dry. Laser Egg enables a connected ecosystem to protect your home and give you peace of mind.
The technology behind Laser Egg is a laser-based emission of light that can detect extremely small particulate matter in the air, Bates said. PM2.5, which Laser Egg can measure with high precision, is particles of 2.5 micrometers or less floating in the air.
For reference, a single human hair is 50 micrometers in diameter. Measuring such tiny particles requires a combination of perfected laser technology and efficient algorithms to provide users with accurate information they can use to make environmental decisions.
In India Kaiterra operates through a wide national network of distributors and resellers. The core team focuses on development and maintaining the above network, while driving digital reach through an internal marketing team. According to Bates, awareness of air quality in India is low, but it is increasing rapidly year by year. Awareness campaigns are high on the list of priorities.
He added:
India has been a big market for Kaiterra over the last few years. So for some time now I have been thinking of having a branch office so that we can better serve our local customers and also conduct local research. We are confident that our new office will provide our Indian customers with fast and high quality service. It is also a great opportunity to help with air quality education in India.
For outdoor air quality monitoring and mapping projects, the company partnered with EPoD, a research group founded by Harvard University faculty. The company is constantly talking to people in the air quality community and governments to build a bigger network and broader reach, he said.
Kaiterra has both B2C and B2B solutions, but B2B is the bulk of the company's business. Primary targets are schools, hospitals, office buildings and commercial spaces.
Bates said:
Two consumer products, Laser Egg 2 and Laser Egg 2+, are both well-suited for the Indian market. In particular, the Laser Egg 2+ is an air quality monitor that provides Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) values which is of great interest in Indian homes and is currently the only one in its category in the Indian market.
Our products are sold in 14 countries, helping us build trust as more players enter the market. We also now have a service and customer care team in India, so you can rest assured that you have a team nearby to help with troubleshooting and repairs.
Kaiterra, which has so far received two rounds of investment from investors ranging from Asia, Europe and America, is looking to expand into Vietnam, Thailand and other Southeast Asian markets in the near future.
He concluded:
The main difference between the Indian and Chinese markets is the level of awareness. As soon as people understand and realize how harmful the air is to their health, they embrace the lifestyle of air quality monitors, masks and air purifiers. Everyone wants their families to stay healthy.
【via e27】@E27co
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