AirSpot: Open Source Technology for Healthier Indoor Air
AirSpot is building an open, community-driven ecosystem that empowers people everywhere to understand, improve, and share information about the air they breathe. Our mission is simple: make indoor air quality visible, measurable, and actionable for everyone.
At its core, AirSpot combines open-source hardware, firmware, software, and community-generated environmental data to create a global platform for healthier indoor environments. We believe clean air should be treated as essential public infrastructure, and that open technology is the fastest path to achieving it.
Open Source Hardware
AirSpot develops highly portable indoor air quality monitoring devices designed to make real-time ventilation and air quality information accessible to everyone.
Our hardware designs are being developed with openness and reproducibility in mind, allowing the broader clean-air community to understand, verify, modify, and build upon our work. By embracing open hardware principles, we aim to:
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Enable community-led innovation and improvement.
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Increase transparency around indoor air quality measurements.
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Lower barriers for researchers, educators, makers, and public health advocates.
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Support local manufacturing and adaptation in different regions.
Our devices are designed to be affordable, portable, and practical for everyday use in schools, workplaces, healthcare facilities, public transport, and community spaces.
Open Source Firmware
The firmware running on AirSpot devices is an important part of our commitment to transparency.
Rather than treating environmental monitoring as a black box, we seek to provide visibility into how measurements are collected, processed, calibrated, and transmitted. Open firmware enables:
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Independent verification of measurement methodologies.
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Community review and improvement.
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Faster development of new features and integrations.
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Greater trust in reported air quality data.
As indoor air quality becomes increasingly important for public health, transparency in measurement systems is critical.
Open Source Software
AirSpot's software ecosystem extends far beyond the monitoring device itself.
AirSpot Companion App
The AirSpot Companion App connects users with their devices and provides:
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Real-time air quality monitoring.
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Exposure tracking and historical analysis.
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Alerts and safety thresholds.
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Device management and firmware updates.
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Integration with community air quality data.
The app transforms raw environmental measurements into practical insights that help users make informed decisions about the spaces they occupy. The platform is continually evolving through collaboration with users, researchers, and clean-air advocates worldwide. (App Store)
AirSpot Map
One of AirSpot's most significant open initiatives is the AirSpot Map.
The AirSpot Map is a free, globally accessible platform that aggregates community-contributed indoor air quality measurements and ventilation data. It allows users to:
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Discover spaces with cleaner air.
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Compare indoor environments.
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Contribute air quality observations.
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Support community science initiatives.
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Build collective awareness of indoor air quality challenges.
The map is designed as shared public infrastructure for clean air, helping make invisible environmental conditions visible to everyone. Data is contributed by individuals, community groups, researchers, and partner organizations around the world. (Vimeo)
Building a Global Clean Air Community
AirSpot is more than a technology project.
We work extensively with an international network of:
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Clean air advocates.
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Public health organizations.
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Researchers and academics.
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Community groups.
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Schools and universities.
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Makers and open-source contributors.
Together, we are creating common tools, standards, and datasets that can accelerate progress toward healthier indoor environments globally.
Our approach is collaborative rather than proprietary. We actively encourage community participation in device development, software contributions, data collection, education, and advocacy.
Future Development: AirSpot Slim Card
Our next major hardware initiative is the AirSpot Slim Card.
The vision is to create an ultra-thin, card-sized air quality monitor that can be carried effortlessly in a wallet, pocket, lanyard, or badge holder. By dramatically reducing size and increasing accessibility, we aim to make indoor air quality awareness part of everyday life.
The AirSpot Slim Card will build upon the same open-source principles that underpin the broader AirSpot ecosystem:
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Open hardware design.
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Open firmware.
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Open software integration.
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Community-driven innovation.
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Global interoperability with the AirSpot Map and Companion App.
This device represents a significant step toward ubiquitous personal air quality monitoring.
Why Open Source Matters
Indoor air quality is a global public health issue affecting billions of people every day.
We believe the solutions should be transparent, accessible, and community-owned wherever possible. Open-source development allows AirSpot to:
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Accelerate innovation through collaboration.
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Increase public trust.
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Enable independent validation.
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Foster global participation.
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Create shared public infrastructure for healthier indoor environments.
By combining open hardware, open firmware, open software, and community-generated environmental data, AirSpot is helping build the foundation for a future where everyone can understand and improve the air they breathe.
AirSpot's long-term goal is simple but ambitious: to help drive clean indoor air everywhere through open technology, community collaboration, and global participation.
For more information:
As well as yourself who else is on the team?
Hello my name is Dr Rob Hackett,
I'm an anaesthetist with a passion for safety through making it easier for us all to succeed in having a better and safer life. My journey to change improvement has been fired up during the pandemic. It's led to my meeting this truly amazing team:
Shaun Ralph - every successful business project needs a great accountant. We've got the best - a thoroughly lovely guy and amazing communicator.
Narendra Bhatt - Head of software and firmware development. Expertise in cross-platform development using Flutter, React Native and Native Android (Kotlin).
Mabel Zhang - Product development manager. SCMP Manager delivering precision prototypes and high quality mass production.
We'll always look to improve and refine AirSpot making it as user friendly and un-intrusive as possible.
We look forward to the day fresh air monitors are built into our smart devices, we know what the air quality is like in any indoor space well before we get there and the air quality will be proudly displayed for everyone to see - and then one day fresh air will be taken for granted.
With you on board we'll get there a lot quicker for everyones benefit.
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