Polverine

The world’s smallest PM2.5 environmental sensing platform. Open-source hardware and software for air quality monitoring, built on the ESP32-S3 with Bosch BMV080 and BME690 sensors.

What is Polverine?

Polverine is an open-source environmental sensing platform built around the Espressif ESP32-S3 microcontroller. It integrates two Bosch Sensortec sensors — the BMV080 MEMS-based particulate matter sensor for PM2.5 measurement and the BME690 environmental sensor for temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and VOC detection — into a single ultra-compact board.

Designed in the mikroBUS S form factor (25.4 × 28.6 mm), Polverine delivers comprehensive air quality monitoring without fans or moving parts. The fanless design is made possible by the BMV080’s revolutionary photoacoustic MEMS sensing technology, resulting in silent, maintenance-free operation.

Both hardware schematics and firmware are fully open source and available on GitHub, allowing developers, researchers, and makers to freely use, modify, and extend the platform for any purpose.

Polverine board close-up
Polverine board top view

Block Diagram

Polverine’s architecture connects the ESP32-S3 MCU to both Bosch sensors, wireless interfaces, and expansion connectors:

Polverine connection block diagram

At a Glance

Particulate Sensing

Bosch BMV080 MEMS-based PM2.5 sensor delivers accurate particulate matter measurement in a fanless, ultra-compact package with no moving parts.

Environmental Monitoring

Bosch BME690 sensor measures temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for comprehensive environmental awareness.

Wireless Connectivity

ESP32-S3 provides 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 for flexible data transmission, cloud integration, and mobile device pairing.

Open Source

Hardware schematics, PCB layout, and firmware are all open source and available on GitHub. Build, modify, and deploy freely.

Environmental Parameters

Polverine measures the following environmental parameters in a single compact board:

  • PM1 — Particulate Matter ≤ 1.0 μm
  • PM2.5 — Particulate Matter ≤ 2.5 μm
  • PM10 — Particulate Matter ≤ 10 μm
  • Temperature — Ambient temperature measurement
  • Humidity — Relative humidity sensing
  • Barometric Pressure — Atmospheric pressure monitoring
  • VOCs — Volatile Organic Compound detection
  • Air Quality Index — Derived AQI from sensor fusion

CrowdSupply Campaign

200%+ funded
Successfully funded
Worldwide shipped to backers

Polverine successfully completed its CrowdSupply campaign, exceeding 200% of its funding goal. The board has shipped to backers worldwide and is now available for purchase through Mouser Electronics.

Explore Polverine

Technical Specs

Full specifications, pinouts, and electrical characteristics.

Getting Started

Setup guide, first build, and quick-start tutorial.

Firmware & Software

Arduino, PlatformIO, and ESP-IDF development resources.

Applications

Use cases, project ideas, and deployment examples.

Updates & News

Latest firmware releases, community updates, and announcements.