Imagine a tiny chip that acts like a super-powered electronic nose, capable of smelling a few drops of pollution in a giant swimming pool. It uses light and sound to identify specific harmful gases without needing a room full of heavy equipment. This allows us to put high-grade air monitoring tools in places where they previously couldn't fit or run.
Current air monitoring systems are too bulky, expensive, and power-dependent for granular deployment. This prevents companies and cities from accurately tracking pollutants in real-time across diverse locations.
Two miniaturised gas sensors (VIS-SWIR and MIR) using photonic integrated circuits and a dual-supercontinuum source on a chip.
If you are a city tech provider dealing with urban air pollution exceeding safe levels—this project developed miniaturised sensors that detect pollutants like NO2 and O3 at 1-25 ppb levels. This allows for granular, real-time monitoring across city grids without needing mains power.
If you are a plant operator dealing with strict EU Green Deal regulations on methane and nitrous oxide—this project developed a PIC-based sensor system that monitors CH4 and N2O. It replaces bulky, expensive equipment with a compact, energy-efficient device.
If you are an auditor dealing with the need for precise data in remote or underserved areas—this project developed a portable multi-sensing solution. It provides high-precision detection of 9 different gases in a single miniaturised system.
The project replaces bulky, expensive, and power-hungry commercial sensors with miniaturised photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology that is designed to be low-cost and energy-efficient.
Based on available project data, the project uses PIC technology and has 6 industrial partners, including 9 SMEs, indicating a focus on scalable manufacturing of the sensor chips.
Based on available project data, the project is developing specific hardware like LiNbO3 waveguides and BSW structures, which typically result in patentable intellectual property regarding the chip architecture.
The technology is specifically designed to ensure compliance with the EU Green Deal and revised EU air quality standards regarding GHGs and pollutants.
The sensors are designed as miniaturised systems that can be packaged into a single near-universally applicable unit, making them easier to deploy in mobile or remote settings than current bulky systems.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialisation, consisting of 17 partners across 6 countries. With a 35% industry ratio (6 companies, 9 of which are SMEs), there is a strong link between the 7 universities and 4 research institutes and the actual market, ensuring the photonic chips are designed for industrial viability.
Contact University of Helsinki (ITA-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO) regarding the RAVEN project
Contact us to find a licensing partner for these PIC gas sensors.
