By Mark Boyer, Source: Inhabitat

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It’s pretty easy to control the air quality in your home; you can open the window, turn on a fan, or even invest in an air filter. But in public places it isn’t so easy. Enter the Ohita, a portable air purifier designed by Jorge Alberto Treviño Blanco, an industrial design student in Mexico who suffered asthma attacks that were brought on by smog and air pollution. In response to that experience, Blanco designed the small, diamond-shaped device to filter the air in urban settings.
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The Ohita looks more like a fashion accessory than an air filter, and Blanco says the concept could be used both in the home and remotely, while moving around in the city. “People move to the city for better opportunities, they become part of an urban environment, missing the fresh country air, nature, and calm,” writes Blanco, explaining the need that the Ohita will fill. “They need high quality air in their house to be healthy, and to deal with the stress of the city.”

Urban populations are growing; for the first time in human history, more people are living in cities than in the country, and those people are generally exposed to worse air quality than their rural counterparts. The Ohita aims to improve local air quality, and the high-tech device can also keep you informed about the air your breathing. The air filter can be controlled via smartphone, and it analyzes air quality, sending data back to your phone and telling users exactly what toxins and levels of particulate matter are floating in the air. The Ohita is still just a concept, but it was recently named a a semifinalist in the 2013 Electrolux Design Lab competition.