IoT Mimics Nature to Reduce Air Pollution

Nature solves the toughest problems. Why not apply some of those time-tested and organic approaches to solve man-made problems as well ? That’s the approach that Biome uses in applying biomimicry and IoT to reduce indoor air pollution.

Here’s how it works: traditional air filters capture air pollutants in a filter which is then discarded. Not only does this generate waste, but it often lets many smaller pollutants through. The microbes found in plant roots are amazing engineers and can absorb and consume smaller pollutants to help the plant grow. To give the microbes a chance to do their magic though, it’s essential to increase the airflow in a manner that can be applied indoors with little maintenance.

The Biome system consists of vertical air columns, each with a small fan at the top that forces air downward. Into these columns are inserted small pods with activated carbon in which plants are growing. Microbes near the plants' roots absorb the air pollutants and use them as nutrients for the plant. This modular design allows Biome to easily add more columns and plants depending on the volume of air to be purified. A single Biome system daily purifies over 500,000 litres of air which corresponds to what 50 people will breathe.

Biome is an example of biomimicry in action: “Innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies”. Best of all it looks great and you can pick the types of plants you want to grow!

Resources :
Biome
Biomimicry Institute
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

--

Deepak is the founder of Skilled Analysts, a SF based IoT services firm that helps clients evaluate and apply IoT technologies to meet their business goals. Their services include building affordable IoT proof-of-concepts (POCs) with best-of-breed sensors, IoT platforms and security solutions. This enables clients to quickly assess the viability and return on investment (ROI) on their IoT project before making a major investment.