While we often hear about the dangers of heightened CO2 levels in the atmosphere, a high indoor concentration of this greenhouse gas can also have a negative impact on our health.
To draw attention to the negative effects of air pollution within our homes and offices, Danish architecture studio DXN has developed the AirBird, a twittering air-quality sensor that measures and reports on the air quality indoors.
The smart device takes the shape and color of the bright yellow canaries that used to be brought into coal mines to warn workers of carbon monoxide and other toxic gases. The birds would react to the poor air elements, which alerted workers to leave the mine before becoming sick.
In a similar manner, the AirBird measures indoor CO2 levels, which increase as a result of insufficient ventilation, especially when people are gathered into the same space. With a chirp or a flashing light (or both), the device reminds users to open a window to improve circulation or move to another space.
While the AirBird doesn’t directly improve air quality, it can help prevent being exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution — an important concern given that poor air quality can affect concentration levels and sleep.
