A new air quality sensor inspired by animal sniffing could revolutionize indoor air monitoring.

Existing sensors often struggle to accurately identify and measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air. The new sensor system, developed by Harvard researchers, uses a combination of active sniffing and machine learning to improve accuracy and reliability.

The sensor system is designed for consumer use.

It is small and portable, and can be used to detect a variety of harmful indoor pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. The technology has potential applications beyond indoor air monitoring, such as disease detection and food safety monitoring.

Collaborative Fund is supporting the commercialization of the technology.

The VC firm is working with the researchers to develop the sensor system as a consumer product, aiming to provide individuals with valuable information about the air they breathe and empower them to take action to improve their indoor environment.