When George Yu worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, he developed a sensor that could detect toxic gas in the air. It's an innovation that doesn't necessarily sound commercially applicable, but Yu has used that same technology to come up with something everyone can use.
Since leaving the department, Yu started Variable Technologies, a company that developed a product called NODE, a small cylindrical gadget that allows you to measure everything from your temperature to how fast you're running during a workout. Nearly two years after NODE hit the market, Yu's team turned to Kickstarter to create an add-on that enables their device to measure levels of carbon dioxide in the air.
NODE works through add-ons, or modules, that attach to each end of the device (like smaller cylinders latching onto a larger middle piece), similar to Lego bricks. This carbon dioxide-tracking module works its magic by using infrared light to gauge how much of the gas is around you, then wirelessly sends that information to your smartphone.
Tracking carbon-dioxide levels can be key to determining the quality of air at home, work or in any enclosed space, and NODE can detect the gas up to 400 parts per million. Currently, the module is built for quick readings, but Yu believes that by the time it ships in April, it will be able to track carbon-dioxide levels over an extended period of time.
Yu even hopes that NODE's latest module will soon be able to temporarily store carbon-dioxide data even when there's no smartphone within its 50-meter range, so you won't have to keep your phone active to run tests. The module's battery will last about half a day, and is compatible with the iPhone 4S and up, as well as the iPad 3 and newer. It also runs on some newer Android phones, such as the Galaxy S3.
NODE's crowdfunding campaign surpassed its $25,000 goal, making this the third successful Kickstarter trial for NODE-related products.
Yu said that the possibilities for the device are vast. "Really, there's a huge range of stuff it can do," he said.
Maybe another Kickstarter campaign is just around the corner.
Image: Variable Technologies