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Raspberry Pi: New project brings adjustable air quality detector to the popular single-board computer

A look at the project in action. (Image source: Kutluhan Aktar)
A look at the project in action. (Image source: Kutluhan Aktar)
Fancy turning your Raspberry Pi into an air quality detector with a GUI? Well, now you can with a new project. Utilising an MQ-135 air quality sensor, the project promises to deliver accurate readings, which can be interpreted with an onscreen GUI.

Posted to Hackster.io by Kutluhan Aktar, the appropriately titled "Raspberry Pi Adjustable Air Quality Detector Running on GUI" turns a Raspberry Pi of your choosing into an air quality detector. Using either the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ or Model 4B, the project integrates an MQ-135 air quality sensor that can measure NH3, NOx, and CO2 content in the air.

According to Aktar, the accuracy of the measurement depends on the positioning of the sensor. To that end, the project includes two servo motors to adjust the position of the sensor for greater accuracy. The servomotors are controlled by their own software, and various positions can be accessed directly via the GUI.

The software can be customised too and display current air quality. Additionally, the software can display warnings if it air quality worsens or goes below a certain level. The project is fairly involved though, as the walkthrough on Hackster.io demonstrates. Aktar recommends setting aside at least four hours to complete the project, and that is if you are already an experienced modder.

Aktar also provides a full parts list for assembling the project. Likewise, there are detailed instructions for configuring the hardware and software.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 04 > Raspberry Pi: New project brings adjustable air quality detector to the popular single-board computer
Alex Alderson, 2020-04- 2 (Update: 2021-09-28)