The edition for the cultural heritage, art pieces conservation and furniture sectors includes monitoring of the specific variables involved in the art deterioration and an online/offline system for locations with poor network connectivity.
Furthermore, with great success at a national level, this variant of our Suite of products allows a full integration with furniture to bring immense benefits to the furniture industry in terms of marketing, creation of new product lines and business opportunities, integration studies and consultancy, depending on the type of furniture, its fibres, among others.
All works of art and historical objects are subject to deterioration and degradation, through a number of factors caused by indoor air pollution. To remedy such deterioration and avoid irreparable damage to the piece, it is necessary to identify the origins and reasons why it occurs.
The elements that influence the deterioration of the condition of a work of art are:
Microorganisms and air particulate (fungi and bacteria)
Humidity and ambient temperature
Indoor air pollution
High level of CO2
Fungi and bacteria can cause colour variations and/or structural variations in works of art. In the case of fungi, they reproduce by means of spores, which are released and remain dispersed in the air. Some of these spores come from fungi that can cause biodeterioration and alter physico-chemical and mechanical properties, through the proliferation of living organisms on paper, wood, different types of fabrics and skin, among others.
In addition, biofilms, or communities of bacteria attached to surfaces, also cause extensive damage to works of art and ancient monuments.
Our high-precision PMs sensor allows detection and monitoring of the levels of both bacteria and fungi in order to prevent the above mentioned damage by fungal and bacterial communities.
Changes in temperature and humidity can cause shrinkage and expansion of objects, damaging paintings, sculptures, among many others. In addition to the mentioned physical damage, high levels of humidity cause fungal growth, something that must be avoided, as discussed in the previous section.
Our temperature and humidity sensors allow the monitoring of their levels, ensuring the real-time stability of both parameters and an overall control of indoor air pollution levels.
Works of art are exposed to pollutants that exist inside and outside museums and galleries:
Internal pollutants: these can be residues from building materials, and even fumes from oil paint and adhesives, which are part of the works themselves.
External pollutants: such as dust, spores, smoke, gas emissions from cars and industrial chimneys, among many others.
Our high-precision VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) sensor enables the monitoring and prevention of these pollutant levels.
High level of CO2 does not directly affect the deterioration of works of art, but indirectly, as high level of CO2 promotes the growth of fungi. Our high-precision CO2 sensor allows real-time monitoring of CO2.
Undoubtedly, in every industry, companies that aim at impressive growth require innovation. Furniture industry is no different. This industry has already seen the introductions of beds with power and USB outlets, smart coffee tables with plugs and speakers, that are no longer perceived as a modernisation.
However, it’s high time we thought out of the box and brought about the genuinely innovative smart product, transforming the furniture sector. Our technological know-how, integratable with furniture objects, will make them smart, revolutional and coveted by a great deal of customers. Only imagine, furniture capable of measuring air quality and showing the details through a user-friendly platform on any screen. Your furniture will tell their users the concentration of viruses, bacteria and particles (moulds, pollen in the air, among others), together with Indoor Air Quality Index, CO2, temperature and humidity.
The only step left in order you could offer this revolutionary product to your customers and stand out from the competition is to integrate our Indoor Air Monitoring Equipment and Management Platform with your furniture. Moreover, this collaboration will bring you a myriad of new opportunities allowing you to keep your leading position as a company of reference with the most socially responsible and innovative product line.
Besides the integration, as well, we are open to the distribution of our system.
Integration with our system will bring the following benefits:
New business opportunities
Marketing opportunities
Participation in UN Agenda 2030, promotion of SDG 3
New business line
Diversification of customer typology
Brand consolidation
One of the most common value propositions in the furniture industry is that furniture affects performance and productivity of the users. This is particularly important for office / workspace settings. Therefore, furniture manufactures invest a lot in the materials and patented technology to create furniture that will have the needed comfort qualities to positively impact the performance of the users.
However, in order to develop the concept of productivity and performance on a whole new 360 level, our product should enter into the scene. With our solution we ensure and control performance of employees in workspaces by measuring the levels of CO2 and particulate matter PM (various types of microorganisms, including harmful bacteria, mould and viruses), especially PM2.5.
To ensure a productive environment, positively impacting performance, it is indispensable to provide the solution that has a double focus. Furniture that is physically comfortable and our IAQ monitoring system for ART & FURNITURE industries that controls indoor air quality, which is directly connected with a person’s performance and overall wellbeing. Furthermore, the importance of our IAQ monitoring system for ART & FURNITURE in workspace environments is supported by a new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The extract from the research findings states: “The one-year study, which included participants in offices across six countries working in a variety of fields, including engineering, real estate investment, architecture, and technology, found that increased concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and lower ventilation rates (measured using carbon dioxide levels as a proxy) were associated with slower response times; lower ability to focus, productivity decrease and reduced accuracy on a series of cognitive tests. The researchers noted that they observed impaired cognitive function (response times, ability to concentrate and productivity) at concentrations of PM2.5 and CO2 that are common within indoor environments”.
According to Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health and lead author of the study: “The study also confirmed how low ventilation rates (high level of CO2) negatively impact cognitive function: response times, ability to concentrate and productivity. Overall, the study suggests that poor indoor air quality affects health and productivity significantly more than we previously understood.”
MasterMind · Tech IAQ ART & FURNITURE is created to respond to this pain point. With our high precision sensors of PMs (particulate matter) and CO2, we control their levels to create and ensure environments that are able to provide conditions for productive work and high levels of concentration.
Before discussing the virtues of MasterMind · Tech IAQ ART & FURNITURE in its ability to strengthen the philosophy of workplace 3.0 let’s look at how the work environment was evolving.
Morgan Lovell, experts in creation of workplace 3.0 spaces, defined and resumed perfectly the workplace evolution: “Over time, the workplace has shifted from a binary space where the choice was between working at a desk or in a meeting room (workplace 1.0) to an open-plan desking environment interspersed with the occasional sofa (workplace 2.0). Attention is now turning to the workplace of the future – what will individuals want and need from their place of work post-Covid?”
What will individuals want and need from their place of work post-Covid? It is a crucial question to be asked when thinking about the important role of our IAQ monitoring system in the process of workplace 3.0 creation. It goes without saying, the office of the future that people inspire is the one about creativity and collaboration, supporting different working styles and allowing to build connection and culture. However, with the mentioned characteristics it’s not complete yet. It is still not answering the need that is not that obvious and cannot be seen on the surface.
You wonder what this need from the place of work post-Covid might be? It is the assurance that the workplace is a safe place to be in, concerned about employees’ overall wellbeing and ability to work productively. Productivity we have already discussed in the previous section. Therefore, let’s focus on the wellbeing assurance that should be a must for a successful workplaces 3.0.
Our IAQ monitoring system, measuring and controlling the hazardous high levels of CO2, PMs, VOC (gases arising from a multitude of sources like cleaning agents, road traffic, factory emissions and gases from smoking fumes), temperature and humidity, allows to bring public reassurance in real time, that the space the employees spend most time of their day is healthy and not harmful to their wellbeing. On top of that, our vision of a real workplace 3.0 that responds to the most urgent employees’ safety needs, is supported by the research by communications consultancy JPES Partners, that stresses that businesses whose personnel are resistant to resuming office working should address the issue of workplace air quality.
Speaking statistically, JPES Partners Head of Property, Duncan Lamb, comments: “The survey responses made it clear just how much the pandemic has focused people’s thinking on the issue with 86% of respondents saying that the issue of air quality in the workplace is now more important to them. Accordingly, it’s now a factor which is influencing people’s willingness to return to the office environment and needs to be addressed by all businesses – and not just those which are office-based.”
Through the control of certain parameters that a furniture manufacturer / distributor indicates to us, we can know if one of your furniture objects is entitled, or not, to a guarantee for your client. For example, for manufacturers of sustainable furniture we monitor when any product containing ammonia has been used to clean the furniture, which implies the loss of the guarantee and the consequent savings for the manufacturing company.
With our system installed during the furniture manufacturing process, we help furniture manufacturers to achieve emission reduction targets: ensuring low CO2 and VOC levels (e.g. varnishing process), as well as other parameters you wish to measure. In addition, we can also carry out production process change studies, by calculating the percentage reduction in emissions from new production methods. This is of vital importance for marketing and reduction of occupational hazards.