Expensive Internet Connected Vape Detectors

[Protec]

I saw a news report about some new internet connected vape detectors used in a school which cost £20k! It said the IT staff were responsible for communicating to the relevant member of staff if the alarm detected vaping. Doesn't seem like the most valuable use of the IT Staffs' time if you ask me. I had a look at a website selling the detectors and the software looks relatively good. However, the price of the cheapest detector is £749 each and there is a software licence fee of £75 a year per device! I see how that soon added up to 20k.

[DrCheese]

Yeah, I had a look into these some months ago but the prices are just stupid. We'd need around 14/15 of them just to cover the toilet areas & we could buy *so much else* with that money.

 

Thankfully management agreed. The technology is really good & I could see a benefit, but they need to drop in price fast to CCTV camera levels if they want to sell into education at volume.

[6Foot2]

Based on my experience working in schools, I believe these devices would be prime targets for vandalism.

 

Significant effort would be required to plan and deploy them, and to protect them throughout their lifespan.

[mavhc]

I assume they're just volatile particle detectors that cost about £10, plus an esp32 for computer/network, total cost £20

[DrCheese]

Based on my experience working in schools, I believe these devices would be prime targets for vandalism.

 

Significant effort would be required to plan and deploy them, and to protect them throughout their lifespan.

 

The ones I looked at would alert you if they were smacked about & if you have CCTV in your communal toilet area you could see it via that (They tied in with our Avigilon system so it would reference the alert) - They also had features like gunshot detection (!) & alerting for fights/aggression based on noise.

 

Thing is, they're still fairly easy to beat by vaping into a bag or the toilet (yes... really)

[Rob_D]

Based on my experience working in schools, I believe these devices would be prime targets for vandalism.

Significant effort would be required to plan and deploy them, and to protect them throughout their lifespan.

The mid priced one linked in the first post (@ £875 a pop) has a tamper alarm.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Rob_D

[FragglePete]

The Vape system shown in that report at Wellington is the same as we have here. The Vape Guardian which is well documented on here. We have one installed, and what with it being a pain the a**e to get installed because it's main powered, we thought they were doing a good job....... until we realised that it can be set of with an aerosol spray can of deodorant rendering it effectively useless. I've asked the company to comment but it's going to prove very embarrassing for us as certain sanctions have been handed down because of the alerts we've had.

 

Pete

[mavhc]

How much would you bet it's just one of these https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Bosch-Sensortec/BME680?qs=v271MhAjFHjo0yA%2FC4OnDQ%3D%3D

[Rob_D]

How much would you bet it's just one of these https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Bosch-Sensortec/BME680?qs=v271MhAjFHjo0yA%2FC4OnDQ%3D%3D

So if I stick one of those to the ceiling it'll email me if someone vapes near it?

Let's face it, it's the management software and reporting systems we're really paying for.

[XiJ]

I assume they're just volatile particle detectors that cost about £10, plus an esp32 for computer/network, total cost £20

 

Yep. There a gap in the market here …

[Norphy]

Didn’t someone in an earlier thread say that their vape detectors were triggered by boys spraying deodorant?

[mavhc]

So if I stick one of those to the ceiling it'll email me if someone vapes near it?

Let's face it, it's the management software and reporting systems we're really paying for.

 

If you add an esp32 and a few lines of code, yep

[ITGURU]

Expensive Vape detection systems? Nah, our students just set off the fire alarm and they soon get the message they cannot vape anywhere in the toilets!