Custom Indoor Air Monitoring IoT System

Short Overview

Cube Air is a smart air quality monitoring system designed to help residents stay aware of the air they breathe and know when it needs improvement. The solution combines a compact desktop device with a clear, user-friendly mobile app that visualizes indoor conditions in real time. Developed for a US company building premium apartments, Cube Air enhances the living experience by tracking indoor air quality.

Project Background

The customer is a developer company constructing hotels and condominiums of premium class in Florida. One of the customer’s projects is an indoor air purifier.

What was the customer's request?

The client approached Indeema with the request to create a smart air quality monitoring system that would track indoor conditions and notify residents when the air purifier should be activated. They also needed a companion mobile app to provide clear air quality insights to end users.

What did the client already have?

Before starting the project, the customer provided a drawing and a 3D model of the air purifier. Our task was to determine the best location for the air quality monitoring sensor inside the unit and define which air parameters should contribute to the overall AQI. Indeema’s team supported the client with sensor selection and preliminary evaluation.

Requirements phase

During this phase, the team prepared a Functional Requirements document. It became the foundation for the technical specification and guided the development process across hardware, firmware, cloud, and mobile components.

Prototyping and Wireframes

The UI/UX team held several workshops with the client to understand the end user and propose initial design concepts. Meanwhile, the hardware team assembled the device prototype using development kits, allowing firmware engineers to begin work early and avoid blockers.

Firmware/Embedded Development

Our embedded engineers developed the device firmware using the ESP-IDF framework. It collects air quality data from the sensors, processes it locally, calculates AQI, and sends the information to the cloud for real-time display in the mobile app.

UX/UI Design

The team delivered a clean, modern mobile interface aligned with the user scenarios discussed earlier, so the design was approved with only minor adjustments.

Mechanical Design

In phase two, Indeema prepared a 3D model of the desktop version of the device. The client required very specific dimensions, so the team reworked the internal component layout — adjusting PCB placement and optimizing space. We also introduced a clear and visually appealing LED indicator strategy, allowing users to understand air quality at a glance.

Web Development

We developed a cloud-based platform on AWS that connects the device with the mobile application. The system enables two-way communication, real-time data transfers, remote updates, and background processing of incoming device data. This ensures stable performance and provides users with clear insights into their indoor environment.

Mobile Development

Using Flutter, the team delivered a cross-platform mobile app that the client could release quickly on both Android and iOS, ensuring a consistent experience for all users.

DevOps and Cloud Development

The solution uses a serverless AWS cloud architecture with AWS IoT and Lambda functions, which process device data in real time, store it securely, and send updated air quality information directly to the mobile app.

Maintenance

Indeema continued working on Generation 2 of the Cube air device. In this version, the unit became fully portable and no longer needed to be installed inside the purifier — it can simply be placed on a desktop and used as an independent device. The team also added a new CO₂ sensor, and the mobile app was updated with the corresponding readings and additional notifications to support the extended functionality.