Ambient CO2 as a live proxy for meeting-room fatigue
Conference rooms routinely pass 1400ppm CO2 within forty minutes, which measurably degrades decision quality. Put a $12 sensor in the room and end meetings when the air — not the calendar — says the group is done thinking.
Topics: indoor-air, productivity, sensors
The problem
Cognitive studies show complex decision scores drop meaningfully around 1400ppm CO2, and sealed meeting rooms reach that fast. Teams blame the agenda or the people when the actual variable is air the facilities system never surfaces to them.
How it works
An NDIR CO2 sensor with a three-color desk puck: green under 900ppm, amber approaching 1200, red past 1400 with a 'take it outside or take a break' prompt. Log curves per room so facilities can rank which rooms cook their occupants fastest.
Open questions
The Harvard COGfx effect sizes came from controlled chambers — do they replicate in messy real offices with door openings? Does showing people the number change meeting behavior, or just add dashboard guilt?