AirPal

Inspiration

Students spend hours in classrooms, libraries, dorms, study spaces, and other indoor environments without knowing when the air around them becomes stale, dusty, or polluted. Poor air quality can affect breathing, comfort, focus, learning, and overall health. We wanted to make clean air visible and give students real-time warnings before symptoms start.

What it does

AirPal is a friendly portable air quality companion that tracks CO₂, TVOC, PM 2.5, and overall AQI. Instead of only showing raw numbers, AirPal turns sensor readings into simple warnings and recommendations. For example, it can tell users when high dust levels are detected, when ventilation may be needed, or when they should avoid risky spaces. The app also shows individual values and uploads AQI readings to a community map.

How we built it

We built AirPal using an Arduino-based air quality detector connected to a mobile app over Bluetooth Low Energy. The Arduino collects sensor data and sends JSON readings to the phone. The app, built with Qt, displays live air quality values, updates the user interface, and sends AQI data with location to our server. The server stores readings and sends them back so users can view community air quality data.

Challenges we ran into

We had to connect hardware, Bluetooth, a mobile app, location services, a server, and a map system together. Getting Bluetooth data from the Arduino into the app was one of the biggest challenges. We also had to make sure the app updated locally, uploaded readings at the right time, and displayed the information in a way that was simple and useful.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that AirPal works as a complete system: the sensor collects air quality data, the phone receives it, the app displays it, and the server stores it for community use. We are also proud of making the product feel friendly and approachable instead of just being another sensor with numbers.

What we learned

We learned how important real-time environmental data can be for student health and focus. We also learned how to work with Bluetooth communication, JSON data, Qt mobile development, location tracking, server storage, and live data visualization.

What's next for AirPal

Next, we want to improve AirPal’s air quality recommendations, make the community map more interactive, improve the physical design, and support more accurate long-term data tracking. Our goal is to help improve air quality for students by making invisible air risks easy to understand and respond to.