We’ve been working on an air quality sensor called the Apollo Automation AIR-1. We’re in the final testing phase and are seeking beta testers. It uses an ESP32-C3 with local control through ESPHome so it will be easy to setup! We’re looking for feedback on features that need enhancement or new ideas that could be incorporated. If you are interested in the AIR-1 as well as beta testing then please fill out our survey. Beta Tester Survey
The AIR-1 measures just 61mm x 61mm x 30mm, and we have focused on efficient heat management within this small package to maintain sensor accuracy. This includes a thoughtful PCB layout and case design, incorporating ventilation and strategic component placement.
Future sensor and power expandability with a modular connector…
All related resources, including CAD models and firmware, are open-source and available on our GitHub.
Exactly. We don’t want to buy multiple sensors if we can help it so we decided to make our own based on what the community wanted. Our first multisensor offering, the MSR-1, had the same approach except it’s a mmWave CO2 Multisensor. Check out the MSR-1 and let us know what you think. https://shop.apolloautomation.cloud/
Awesome! The community wanted an air quality sensor so we developed the AIR-1. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback and cannot wait to get them in users hands! I know you didn’t ask, but people have been wanting to see the USB port so here it is!
Exactly! A local HA/ESPHome air quality sensor was one of the most requested sensors on our survey. We have testers using it now in their 3D printing rooms, wood shops, and kitchens. We are excited to ship in mid December, if all testing goes well!
Yes, our first sensor was the Apollo Automation MSR-1 mmWave CO2 Multisensor. It was just recently reviewed by a YouTuber, Make It Work, in his mmWave comparison video. Let us know what you think!
I splurged and got one of these with both CO2 and gas sensors. Very cool little device! So here is some initial feedback and some comparison with a Qingping Air Monitor Lite (CGDN1) which I’ve had for a while.
Consistency: I have seen a single dip to 0 in CO2 values. Could be a one-off but maybe a outlier filter would be good to add.
CO2: Initially I was bit surprised to see that the CO2 values were much higher than the Qingping. Like 3-500 ppm higher even after quick calibration of both outside.
Today then I put both outside for 15-20 minutes in around 1 degrees C and calibrated both the AIR-1 temperature offset and CO2 sensors on both devices.
After taking them in again it seems like the CO2 values are now much closer. AIR-1 reading about 50 ppm higher than the Qingping. Close enough I think : )
So I guess it just need a bit longer than 3-5 minutes outside in the cold for the CO2 calibration to be optimal.
PM2.5 & PM10: For PM2.5 the Qingping reads ~130 above the AIR-1 (atm. 475 vs 345) For PM10 the Qingping reads ~200 above the AIR-1 (atm. 565 vs 365) However I have not attempted to “clean” the Qingping since I got it a couple of years ago. (I also don’t usually have so high PM values btw…)
Edit: Ok they have actually settled in at the same values as the Qingping : )
First and foremost, thank you so much for your support and for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. It’s insights like yours that help us improve and ensure our products meet our users’ needs.
We appreciate your suggestion about adding an outlier filter to address the one-off CO2 values. None of my sensors have done this but I will be sure to look for it going forward.
Regarding the CO2 sensor comparison, both the AIR-1 and the Qingping Air Monitor Lite use NDIR CO2 sensors (the AIR-1 uses the SCD40, and the Qingping uses a SenseAir S8), which should provide similar readings. It’s great to hear that after recalibration, the CO2 values between the two devices aligned more closely.
We’re curious about your experience integrating the AIR-1 with Home Assistant compared to the Qingping Lite. How did you find the setup and adoption process for our AIR-1? Any insights you could share would be greatly appreciated, as we aim to make our products as user-friendly and compatible as possible.
Also, we have made an Air Quality Sensor Comparison that you might find useful. Please let us know if any of the information is incorrect and if you have any suggestions.
Justin, I just received my AIR-1 and can share my experiences:
First of all, I’m very happy with this purchase. The reviews were highly promising, your support chat was convincing and the shipping was quick. The device is a bit more plasticy than I hoped and I would have preferred a white power adapter over a black one, but that’s all so far.
The sensor names for the four PM sensors changed after updating the firmware in ESPHome. It’s fine as I just “lost” a few hours of data in HA but I hope they won’t change again on future firmware updates, as I like to keep old data for comparison.
I don’t yet understand why there is a text_sensor for the VOC data but not additional text_sensors for CO2 and maybe also the four PM values. Or maybe a sensor that merges all of that information to a single information about the air quality?
The ESPHome addon isn’t very intuitive and a bit scary, such as the encryption key (no idea what I will need that for, the device worked before I started the ESPHome addon, so I wonder why I was prompted I need such a key) and also the firmware upgrade procedure. (And I know you can’t influence how user-friendly the addon itself is, but as it’s part of the experience, you should know)
I’m unsure about the physical placement of the device itself and would wish if there was a guide on your website. Shall it be close to a window/door for better air circulation or rather further away, maybe in a corner of the room? Can I place it on the wall (rotated to its side) or does it need to stand somewhere? If I don’t want to place it at ~150cm height for optical reasons, is it better to keep it near the floor or the ceiling? Etc.
I’d also wish there was a table explaining the levels for CO2, VOC etc. – I know that google image search has many tables but they all differ a bit and shouldn’t that information be part of the device infos?
I’m not familiar with ESPHome devices, but how will I see if there is a new firmware available and what the changelog is? Do I need to search actively or will HA notify me? I will find out, but that would be a helpful information too.
Oh, by the way, the device currently out of stock at the only EU retailer (opencircuit). Hope there will be more available soon.
Sorry about that! We recently switched from a .cloud to a .com domain, which caused issues with our onedrive. This is the updated comparison link. Let us know if you need anything else!
