Birdi is a smart smoke detector and much, much more

By Drew Prindle December 13, 2013

birdi smart air quality monitor screen shot 2013 12 13 at 1 40 56 pm — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nest might have the smart thermostat market cornered, but when it comes to smart smoke detectors, it might have some competition on it’s hands in the very near future.

Birdi is a new device that’s currently seeking funding on IndieGoGo, and it’s more than just a smoke detector – it’s a full-on air monitoring system. In addition to housing the sensors necessary to detect things like smoke and carbon monoxide, Birdie includes a slew of other sensor types that enable it to monitor an array of environmental factors.

Underneath its slick, minimalist exterior, Birdi boasts a photoelectric smoke detector, electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor, a particle detector for stuff like pollen and dust, a thermometer, humidity sensor, CO2 sensor, and a Wi-Fi transceiver. Its like the Swiss Army knife of smart devices.

Armed with this arsenal of sensor tech and a cloud-based brain, Birdi can give you well-informed suggestions on how to improve the air quality in your home. For example, lets say the atmosphere in your house is extremely dry. Birdi can help prevent respiratory tract infections, ease cold symptoms, or simply help you avoid dry skin and itchy eyes by sending you a message advising you to raise the level of indoor humidity.

If there’s ever an emergency like a fire or a gas leak, it’ll set off lights and sirens and send off text alerts to everyone in the house. And because it’s also connected to the Web, Birdi can even give you alerts on potential dangers happening outside your home. If there’s a natural disaster making its way toward you like a hurricane, tornado, flood, or earthquake, Birdi will shoot you an alert well in advance. It’s not just about smoke anymore.

Built by a team of engineers and designers based in New York, Birdi was initially called Canary, but was later re-branded and redesigned, presumably because the name Canary is already taken by a smart home security system that was announced earlier this year.

You can get your hands on a Birdi for just $99 bucks if you back the project now. Head over to IndieGoGo for more details.

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Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…

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