Glasgow company to trial air quality platform across 200 homes in real-time
ARBNCO is set to trial a new digital air quality platform a real-world testing environment with 200 homes nationwide.
The Glasgow-based firm is connecting with consumers in Energy Systems Catapult’s Living Lab with the aim of reducing indoor air pollution, improving ventilation and safeguarding health.
The Living Lab trial comes after arbnco was awarded almost £300,000 in funding from Innovate UK’S Small Business Research Initiative competition, which is supporting innovators in developing and demonstrating new products and services that monitor a wide range of household pollutants.
The firm’s digital platform gathers a range of data from air monitoring sensors combined with data on the property and occupants to provide analysis on air quality issues and deliver alerts on potential harms and advice on mitigating health impacts.
Andrew Stewart, arbnco research and development manager, said: “Indoor air quality is a problem literally hidden behind closed doors.
“Issues typically arise from cookers in kitchens, gas heaters and wood burners in living rooms, humidity in bathrooms leading to condensation and mould, while even bedrooms can be a problem with raised CO2 levels building up at night, if not properly ventilated.
“So, we’re delighted to be testing with the Living Lab – a truly unique facility that dramatically reduces the barriers to product testing with real consumers in a realworld environment. Partnering with the Energy Systems Catapult means we can obtain a wealth of data and feedback from households that will accelerate the development cycle and time-to-market.”
Living Lab business lead Rebecca Sweeney said homes will require future upgrades, adding: “The Living Lab will provide arbnco with both qualitative and quantitative consumer data from a range of housing types and demographics to help them further develop the user experience of the platform.”