Bosch Sensortec has announced the BME688, the first air quality MEMS sensor that combines gas, humidity, temperature and barometric pressure sensing with innovative artificial intelligence (AI) capability; essentially creating the world’s smallest four-in-one air quality measurement solution. This single device enables customers to reduce their total cost of ownership, cut their development time and simplify design.

The new BME688 is ideal for the latest, customised applications, such as food spoilage detection and timely forest fire detection by detecting the gases present, and tracking temperature and humidity changes. The sensor's AI features and Bosch Sensortec’s new BME AI-Studio software tool make it straightforward for customers to rapidly develop custom solutions for their specific use cases. To further cut time to market, Bosch Sensortec also provides an Adafruit-compatible development kit.

Built on Bosch Sensortec’s proven BME680 platform, the BME688 features an updated gas sensor enabling an extended measurement range and sophisticated AI features. The gas sensor now detects the presence of many gases, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) and other gas types such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen, in the parts per billion (ppb) range.

"The BME688 combines reliable high-precision sensors with wide-ranging gas detection and innovative AI capabilities in a single package,” says Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. “This enables our customers to rapidly develop the next generation of applications designed to improve well-being, lifestyle and sustainability.”