The Portable Turbidity Meter: Why Has the Pen-Type Never Existed?
- (더웨이브톡) 마케팅
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Turbidity is the measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by tiny suspended particles, and it is a key indicator of water cleanliness.
The current handheld turbidity meter—using sample vials, requiring wiping before every measurement for accuracy, and a bit too heavy to comfortably hold—is undeniably an 'industrial' tool, despite its 'portable' label. The barrier is simply too high for the average consumer to easily check drinking water quality at home. Why hasn't the miniature 'pen-type turbidity meter', which you simply dip into the water like a common pH or TDS meter, ever existed? The everyday need of consumers who want to confirm their clean drinking water has always been there.
The Strong Need for 'Easy Measurement' in Drinking Water Quality Management
The global turbidity meter market is growing at an annual rate of over 6%. Demand for water quality monitoring is steadily increasing, not only in water treatment and industrial sites but also in daily life—for managing home water purifiers, checking tap water quality, and verifying drinking water during camping or international travel.
However, the current handheld turbidity meters on the market are expensive and require precise maintenance, making them inaccessible to the average consumer. Consumers have long wished for a product that is reasonably priced, easy to use without calibration, and reliable. A single, trustworthy device for water quality verification has been the 'dream product' of water management.
Technical Obstacles and Reasons for the Absence of the Ultra-Small Pen-Type Turbidity Meter
The reason a pen-type turbidity meter hasn't been developed until now is the extreme difficulty in simultaneously satisfying two values: 'User Convenience' and 'Measurement Precision.'
1. The Dilemma Between Portability and Precision: Turbidity measures light scattered by particles in the water, which requires an extremely delicate measurement environment.
Increased Convenience : An immersion structure, where the sensor is dipped directly into the water, is the most convenient. However, it is highly susceptible to external light interference and micro-bubbles on the sensor surface, which cause the measurement values to fluctuate easily and precision to drop sharply.
Securing Precision : To maintain precision, a complicated and cumbersome method must be adopted: water must be placed in a separate cell (vial) and illuminated within a sealed space to completely control the measurement environment.
In the end, there has been a dilemma: increase 'User Convenience' and you sacrifice precision; insist on precision and the device becomes inconvenient to use.
2. High Price Barrier Due to High-Precision Measurement: Implementing reliable precision requires sophisticated components and design. This has led to high manufacturing costs for existing industrial turbidity meters and consumer prices that can reach thousands of dollars, creating an economic barrier that blocks access for the average consumer.
Due to these technical and economic challenges, the development of a pen-type turbidity meter that boasts reliable precision at a reasonable price has been virtually impossible—until now.
The Wave Talk's Challenge: Using Semiconductor Sensors to Open a New Path for Water Quality Monitoring
To bridge this gap between the market and technology, The Wave Talk recently began discussions with a global partner regarding the feasibility of developing a pen-type turbidity meter. While the product specifications and form are not yet finalized, we are in the initial planning phase, envisioning a device for turbidity measurement that is "truly easy to take out and use anywhere, requires no other supporting devices, and whose precision can be trusted."
In the past, The Wave Talk achieved a precision breakthrough in the low-turbidity drinking water sector with a small water quality meter called 'WaTalk.' It gained attention in the market for its easy-to-use method and measurement accuracy. However, WaTalk had to be linked to a smartphone app to view the results; the device itself did not display the measurement value. While WaTalk revolutionized the price point, bringing down a device that once cost thousands of dollars to under $300, it could still be a somewhat burdensome price for purely household use.
Now, we are aiming to go further with the pen-type turbidity meter. Utilizing The Wave Talk's unique semiconductor-based sensor technology, we aim for the highest precision while being lighter and more affordable than existing global brands.
A New Era for Small, Convenient, Precise Water Quality Monitoring
The paradigm of water quality management is shifting. An era is coming where not just experts, but everyone, checks water quality in their daily lives. The reasons why an ultra-small turbidity sensor combining precision and practicality has not yet been commercialized are clear, but now, the initial discussions have begun. The Wave Talk seeks to fill this market void with technology. What will the 'True' portable turbidity meter we envision look like? The Wave Talk is committed to leading the popularization of water quality management through the commercialization of the pen-type turbidity meter. The day that imagination becomes reality is not far off.
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