Bosch particulate sensors revolutionize air quality measurement

No noise, no fan, no maintenance sensor, providing accurate data

● The world's smallest particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality sensor (450 times smaller than similar products) can be used in ultra-small iot devices

● Accurate measurement of PM2.5 concentration to provide actionable data

● Innovative fanless design, perfect silence, no maintenance

Clean air is essential to our health and well-being. In this day and age, people typically spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, which can have negative health effects in the long run, as indoor air is three to five times more polluted than outdoor air in most parts of the world. A major component of such pollution is fine dust, solid and liquid particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, known as PM2.5 particulate matter. Such particles can cause serious health problems if inhaled and enter the lungs.

The most common air quality measuring stations only publish average outdoor data over a period of time, rather than providing real-time localised information that is most relevant to our health. At the CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bosch Sensor Technologies unveiled its new BMV080 to address this issue. The product is the smallest PM2.5 air quality sensor in the world, providing accurate and actionable data.

"Indoor air quality is an issue that needs urgent attention: in poorly ventilated homes, concentrations of PM2.5 produced by home cooking can reach 100 times the permissible limit." "With the new BMV080, local, actionable data is now available to detect and respond to adverse air quality," said Dr. Lucas Ginzinger, head of optical products at Bosch Sensortec.

Measuring only 4.2 x 3.5 x 3 mm³ (width x length x height), the BMV080 sensor is more than 450 times smaller than any comparable device on the market. With its tiny size and fanless, non-invasive design, the BMV080 revolutionizes the norm. It can operate without noise, meaning that in a home or office environment, there is no interference with sleep or work.

The new sensor has a maintenance-free design and is more reliable and less prone to failure because there is no fan, which does not involve dust accumulation. It is perfect for a variety of ultra-small wearable or Internet of Things devices such as air quality monitors, smart thermostats, smart speakers, smart switches and smart air purifiers.

At the current state of the art, similar PM2.5 sensors rely on a fan to draw air into a laser beam, which is then detected and measured by photodiodes using the properties of particles that reflect or block laser light. The BMV080 features an innovative design based on an integrated photodiode ultra-compact laser. It uses complex calculations to directly measure PM2.5 concentration in space without the need for a fan.

This innovation brings new awareness and a wider range of technological options for people who value healthy living. The new sensor, which is easily integrated into smart home and smart building systems based on the ultra-small Internet of Things, will notify indoor people of air quality when PM2.5 levels exceed thresholds. As a response, civilian or home automation systems can turn on exhaust fans for ventilation, or turn on filters to clean the air.

"BMV080 provides timely, accurate and actionable information on particulate matter concentration levels in the air to detect and respond to indoor and outdoor pollution and improve people's well-being and health." "It is much smaller than existing devices on the market and opens up a whole new range of potential applications for design engineers to explore," said Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec.