Oct. 23 – The start-up RSens, born as a spin off of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and the University of Trento, has arrived on the American market with a new sensor, named “Aria,” for the detection of radon and indoor pollutants. With this new equipment, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia researchers create and refine more and more technologically sophisticated tools that can monitor what you breathe in the workplace, at home and within any closed environment. In particular, Aira detects the presence of indoor pollutants and radon, an odorless, extremely harmful and dangerous gas. According to estimates of the World Health Organization, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Only in the United States, where screening and monitoring is more common, 8 million homes are potentially under radon risk. A recent study based in Colorado estimated that more than half of the homes have radon values higher than recommended. Aria is able to continuously measure the air and send the results and trends to smartphones and tablets. “After years of research and development – said prof. Luigi Rovati of the Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” – this innovative technology developed for professional use has been adapted for home use. This will allow everyone to be able to personally verify the quality of their home environments.” “Thanks to a wireless connection – says Luca Bidinelli, Chief Executive Officer of RSens srl – Aria sends the data relating to radon concentrations on any smartphone, at any time. In case of dangerous values, the app allows to automatically or manually ventilate the area.” Aria recently opened a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo to cover the costs of industrialization. Participants in the campaign will contribute to Aria’s large-scale production and global distribution.
