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Life & fun · October 7, 2025

Spaceflight-inspired pocket optical breath analyzer – 10Hz CO2/O2

We built a pocket-sized optical breath analyzer based on an optical sensor for measuring CO2 and O2. It streams CPET metrics in real time (VO2, VCO2, VE, RER, Tv etc) for breath-by-breath analysis. Functional prototype based custom PCB, mobile app, and web platform are working. Demo videos: https://youtu.be/-DcvRPJJkj0 https://youtube.com/shorts/Ycy8wP4oW2o?si=W0n1Oyof7M37kdta What’s different Instead of electrochemical O₂ fuel cells and typical CO₂ NDIR modules (slower response, periodic replacement/calibration), we use non-consumable optical sensors…

Spaceflight-inspired pocket optical breath analyzer – 10Hz CO2/O2 launched on October 7, 2025 with 7 votes, #2,779 of 8,178 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.

What it does

Mera combines metabolic testing, health data and AI in one workspace for human performance labs, teams, coaches and athletes to understand performance over time.

Turn metabolic tests and physiological data into answers you can explore, compare and follow over time. Built for performance labs, sports scientists and coaches. One athlete profile for metabolic tests, physiological data and everything that changes between them. Turn your next metabolic or performance test into a profile you can understand and compare over time. Mera is developing optical sensing technology for metabolic testing, with faster response, no routine calibration and no annual sensorfrom mera.fit

In the maker’s words, at launch

We built a pocket-sized optical breath analyzer based on an optical sensor for measuring CO2 and O2. It streams CPET metrics in real time (VO2, VCO2, VE, RER, Tv etc) for breath-by-breath analysis. Functional prototype based custom PCB, mobile app, and web platform are working. Demo videos…

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