Startup rolls out smart air quality device in China to combat pollution

Origins Technology, which is registered in China as a wholly-owned foreign enterprise, or Woofie, secured backing from the Chinese government as part of an initiative called OTEC aimed at attracting overseas talent.

With this injection of cash and using JD.com's crowdfunding platform, the company is planning to unveil its second product, the Laser Egg, a portable air quality monitor that can measure pollution levels instantly.

Most air monitoring products in China are designed for certain locations and consequently were not accurate enough. And this prompted the company to come up with the Laser Egg.

"The composition of the air is different depending on where you are," Bates explained. "So you need different types of calibration. That's why our device uses wifi to download the calibration it needs for the specific location."

Although an official launch date for the Laser Egg has yet to be announced, first shipments will start this month. The product, which will costs 379 yuan, is already available through pre-order on Origins Technology's JD.com crowdfunding page and on its website.

Additionally, the company has rolled out Breathing Space, a smartphone app that allows users to monitor the air quality around their Laser Egg remotely.

Origins Technology partnered with the app developer Fresh Ideas to make the information available through the China Air Quality Index app. This helps Laser Egg users identify pollution-free public places such as coffee shops, restaurant and malls.

"We thought it was important to create a service like this because there will be a time when people will decide to go to certain restaurants and coffee shops because the air is clean," Bates said.