OAQ : An Air Quality Monitoring system made for community

Air quality data in India is often either unavailable at a local level or locked behind expensive proprietary devices. Project OAQ is an attempt to build an open, affordable, and adaptable air quality monitoring device that can serve different needs without requiring users to buy multiple systems.

The project uses a single PCB that integrates a particulate matter sensor, a VOC sensor, and a combined temperature and humidity sensor. The electronics are housed in a modular enclosure system. The same hardware can be used in two distinct ways: a compact, minimal everyday carry form factor for personal use, and an indoor air quality monitor form factor with an added oled display for use at home or in classrooms as an Indoor air quality monitor.

Both versions share the same electronic stack and processing logic, but are designed for different contexts and user interactions.

The device performs on-board sensor fusion by combining data from particulate matter, VOC, temperature, and humidity sensors to generate air quality readings. It sends this data over BLE.

Project OAQ is also being tested for high-altitude use, with the device scheduled to fly on weather balloons to collect atmospheric data and demonstrate its use in citizen science.

The hardware supports easy integration with Meshtastic LoRa modules, allowing the sensors to function as an independent open weather stations.

The complete project, including schematics, firmware, and enclosure designs, is free and open source.

Key Takeaways from this talk include :

• How we built a sensor system meant for both personal daily use and citizen science deployments

• The value of keeping sensor processing and data handling local and offline-first

• Our experience of launching Project Good1 using a weather balloon and collecting data for citizen science.

• Challenges in building durable and repairable environmental sensing tools.

• How open hardware can be made more versatile by integrating it with existing ecosystems like Meshtastic.

• You might even takeaway a free Project OAQ sensor with you ; )