Once it is powered up, this desktop unit keeps tabs on CO2, airborne particles, temperature and humidity, and the touchscreen lays out AQI, pressure, PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10, VOC, NOX, HCHO and radon all at once. The boot splash reads AURA AIR QUALITY before the telemetry interface loads, which is a nice bit of polish. The project is called Project Aura AQ, and the desktop unit carries the label AURA R1.
The build mixes clear acrylic with printed parts in dark grey filament. The acrylic panels carry engraved circuit board traces, and the engraved faceplate and backplate get screwed to the printed outer shell using metal standoffs and machine screws. Inside, a carrier board with an integrated color touchscreen sits alongside a coin cell battery, and JST wiring harnesses plug into the board's headers. The sensor modules, including a small breakout board and a black sensor shroud, are secured to a 3D-printed baseplate and wired to the display controller. A precision screwdriver came out during assembly, and power comes in through a rear cable.
On the fabrication side, the acrylic was cut on the Bambu Lab R1, a 55W CO2 laser, while the printed parts came off the H2D. The maker also updated Bambu Suite to V01.05.00 and reports it has run better and more reliably since.
One open point: the lid was lifted almost straight after cutting rather than letting extraction run longer, and even with good extraction some fumes can still slip out when the lid goes up. The maker plans to give the extraction more time before opening next round, and the exhaust output does vent outside.