Help us build the ideal air purifier for schools

(and anywhere else air is shared)

We want to build a low noise solution to protect kids from airborne viruses, pollutants, and other contaminants by improving the air quality in schools and other indoor environments.

The POLARIS will take many innovative designs of the DIY air purifier movement and package them in a durable, easy to maintain, safety tested mass produced device.

The goal of this campaign is to take our Proof-of-Concept design to a Design for Manufacturing Prototype.

The Polaris – Features

We are looking to the Covid Conscious community for input that will eventually determine the final design, our initial features include the following:

• Six low-noise, high static pressure PC fans, user swappable
• Uses non-proprietary 20x20x1 MERV13 furnace filters
• Small footprint: 26 x 8.5 inches
• Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR):  290 cubic ft / min *
• Good for 5 Air Changes per Hour in a 435 sq ft space
• Virtually silent operation: 39.8 dB at 1 metre *
• Low energy usage: 10.8 watts *
• Quieter operation than current commercial HEPA cleaners
• Simple design with easy to replace components
• Safe, low voltage operation
• Magnetic filter doors with optional security screws
• Rear DC port and power switch flush mounted to metal panel
• Integrated handles
• Rolling casters
• Can be wall-mounted

* Based on tests of a prototype built to the same specifications

Our Story

We are a Toronto based father and son team that were looking for ways to mitigate the risk from airborne transmission of Covid when a family member entered long term care.

After discovering an active online group of Covid aware people experimenting with using banks of computer fans and furnace filters to create air purifiers that effectively captured airborne virus particles, pollutants and other harmful particles we built a few and found them to be extremely quiet and easy to deploy.

It was clear to us there were a lot of people who were looking for similar solutions so we developed a kit version and made it available.

Almost two years later, hundreds of these kits have been deployed in homes, offices, retail, and medical clinics all across Canada. 

Our hope was to ultimately provide these machines for use in classrooms where the combination of high performance and virtually silent operation would be an ideal solution where noisy commercial HEPA cleaners had failed.

Though we had success getting our machines into some private schools, larger school boards resisted due to the following concerns:

• Materials such as HDF hardboard not being durable enough.
• Difficult to change filters due to the use of tape or tension cords.
• Individual components have UA/CSA approval but fully built machines do not.
• Exposed filters easily accessed by students.

The goal of the POLARIS is to create a mass produced device that retains all of the positive characteristics of the DIY kits while addressing the limitations and concerns so that they will be accepted by school boards and widely deployed in any environment.

Visit us at northboxsystems.ca to learn more:

A Proven and Tested Design

The POLARIS is based on the North Box 6XL air purifier kit

Almost two hundred of our North Box 6XL air purifiers have been deployed in homes, retail, healthcare and schools.  The POLARIS will use the same configuration and basic components to achieve the same performance in a more refined and durable construction.

Watch the House Fresh review of the North Box 6XL

Project Development Timeline

Our goal is to develop a Design for Manufacturing Prototype

Phase One: Finalizing the Design

• Reaching out to the community for input on what features they want to see
• Work with various parent groups, school boards and government to inform them of this design and advocate for its use
• Consult with HVAC engineers and air quality experts to refine the design and set performance targets

Phase Two: Working Prototype

• Finalize CAD design
• Full-size 3D printed prototype

Phase Three: Manufacturing Prototype

• Finalize product specifications
• List of components and suppliers
• Work with a local manufacturers to create design prototype
• CSA / UL certification

Future Plans

Our ultimate goal is to have this device ready to deploy in schools, libraries, offices, healthcare settings and homes.

Individual units will be sold and shipped direct to users through our established online business.

Group sales will be available for school boards, hospitals and other institutional users though fulfilment warehouses.

Risks & Challenges

To bring this ambitious project to life we have budgeted for expert consultants, designers and manufacturers to ensure we get it right.  Safety is a paramount issue so we will ensure that the POLARIS passes all safety tests and is certified by a CSA approved lab.  

Our goal is to have a final design that can be mass produced and ready to be deployed in 6 months.  Of course there is the risk that we will run into delays or unforeseen issues that may impact the delivery time or the final cost of the machine.  

We were able to develop and release 5 different models of our DIY kits in the course of a few months so we are confident that we can deliver a more refined machine.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you are not in a position to help financially we are still looking for your input and support for this important project.

• Get the word out on social media, share our posts whenever you can!
• Contribute suggestions for features you feel are important.
• If you have engineering / CAD design experience please get in touch!