HOMY
How do you improve air quality in the most natural way possible?
Many people know the feeling of feeling tired and unable to concentrate after spending some time in a room, for example at work, at a school or even in their own home. Fine dust particles, chemical substances and other pollutants in the air are responsible for these complaints.
HOMY is a modular air quality system that can be tailored to the user and operates autonomously, i.e. without external power sources. The user is given recommendations for ventilation behavior and plant and device maintenance via appropriate sensors.
2019 / Teamwork with Lukas Lederer / Cooperation: City Laboratory Graz
The aim of the project was to design a system to improve indoor air quality that was based as much as possible on natural effects .
For this reason, the start was interspersed with research into natural effects such as the chimney effect or evaporative cooling. Furthermore, different materials and their properties were examined in detail.
This research and investigation phase was the basis for the selection of components and the structure of the concept.
THE BEGINNINGS
The most important areas/components are as follows:
Air filter
On the one hand, this is done with the air-purifying effect of the leaves and roots of the plants, but on the other hand, conventional HEPA filters are also used.
Humidity
The humidity-regulating effect of terracotta is used here. An evaporation element that can be filled with water is also used.
Energy
The device is supposed to be powered by plant energy. This happens by tapping into the energy in the potting soil that is released by microorganisms. The assumptions are based on research by the company Plant-E.
The energy is needed to drive a fan and the sensors.
THE COMPONENTS
The further ideation was largely about modularity and the sensible combination of the previously defined components in order to create a product that is as tailored to the needs of the user and as personalizable as possible.
Initial drafts, both drawn and computer-generated, were compared and presented to a large number of people in order to make design decisions.
THE DESIGN
The modular design allows adaptation to different room sizes. By adding intermediate elements , you can achieve greater performance.
The entire concept is based on the symbiosis of people, plants and technology . Appropriate sensors measure the condition of the plants and the air. This allows the user to be given instructions on how to keep the system running.
Communication takes place via subtle light signals on the device. More detailed information can be found in the app .
THE DESIGN
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