We love our practical Raspberry Pi projects here at XDA. Just ask Jeff Butts, who recently wrote our tutorial on turning a Raspberry Pi into an air monitor. While Jeff is always on the hunt for something to make or 3D print, he may want to revisit his old project for 2025, as someone has shown off a Raspberry Pi-powered air monitor you can take wherever you go.

This portable air quality meter uses a Raspberry Pi to get the job done

Designed by Arnov Sharma, this device is called the Air Quality Meter. At its core is a Raspberry Pi Pico 2, which uses sensors, displays, and a battery to create a portable air quality meter:

The Portable Air Quality Meter allows the user to monitor air quality using the MQ135 sensor and visually display the readings on the OLED display using the FireBeetle ESP32 E V1. Because of its small size and built-in power supply, the user can gather air quality readings anywhere they go.

To keep all the components safe from the elements, Arnov put their 3D printer to good use and created a sleek-looking case. The end product is a professional-looking device you can easily tinker with, improve, and repair.

So, want to make your own? Fortunately, Arnov was nice enough to detail everything he did on the Hackster.io website. The project page includes a video showing the device in action (seen above). It also has a full bill of materials used, all the required code, the writing schematics, and a link to the CAD file of the enclosure for 3D printing. And if it feels a little too complex, why are these Raspberry Pi projects for beginners or projects you can complete in under an hour?