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Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

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Re: Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

#11
post #8

Does anyone know what kind of sensor can detect levels of pollen in a personal space? Are they available for purchase at a reasonable price?

A quick Google search leads me to the GP2Y1010AU0F Compact Optical Dust Sensor[1][2], which you can get on ebay for cheap. Hope that helps!

[1] http://sharp-world.com/products/device/lineup/data/pdf/datas...

[2] http://sensorapp.net/?p=479

Re: Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

#12
post #8

Does anyone know what kind of sensor can detect levels of pollen in a personal space? Are they available for purchase at a reasonable price?

A particulate sensor can be used to cheaply monitor the appropriate size range for pollen. Of course, it just senses light scattering, so other air polluting particulates of a similar size will be indistinguishable. Large particulates greater than 10 - 100 microns in diameter are likely to be pollen in an outdoor environment, but they can also be combustion related particulates. More information can be obtained from sensors that measure light polarization, which may allow one to differentiate pollen from other particulates of similar size.

Re: Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

#13
post #8

Does anyone know what kind of sensor can detect levels of pollen in a personal space? Are they available for purchase at a reasonable price?

Depends on what you call 'reasonable', but the answer is likely 'no'. The 'Air Quality Egg' was a kickstarter project a year and a half ago, but they failed to produce a calibrated device. Measuring particles is doable, it's the calibration that is the issue. Most of these sensors don't show useful measures for air pollution, although most claim they do.

Re: Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

#14
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's unsubsidized by media sales, so the price doesn't seem outlandish at all.

None of the e-ink Kindles are sold at a loss. This product shouldn't cost much more than the comparable Kindle or Nook.

Not sure about that. Perhaps not sold at a loss in terms of bill of materials right now (since they have been in production for some time they probably brought the price down), but that doesn't account for the labor costs (developers, support, etc...).

All e-book readers are subsuidized by book sales. Amazon would be mad not to do it that way. They are a goods company not a hardware company.

Re: Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

#16

$330 for a wifi eink display? The server seems pretty neat though. I imagine there is a lot more complexity there than it seems at first glance.

When you phrase it like that it sounds really bad.

How about a ruggedized wifi eink display with a fully featured HTML5 application stack, long autonomy and awesome support.

Is that a better value proposition?

Re: Show HN: A home environment sensor from a Raspberry Pi and an e-paper device

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

None of the e-ink Kindles are sold at a loss. This product shouldn't cost much more than the comparable Kindle or Nook.

Not sure about that. Perhaps not sold at a loss in terms of bill of materials right now (since they have been in production for some time they probably brought the price down), but that doesn't account for the labor costs (developers, support, etc...). All e-book readers are subsuidized by book sales. Amazon would be mad not to do it that way. They are a goods company not a hardware company.

If they wanted to give away a free kindle with every Prime subscription they could, but they're still selling them above manufacturing cost.
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