diff --git a/src/apds9002/apds9002.cxx b/src/apds9002/apds9002.cxx
index b417d1b1..4e206338 100644
--- a/src/apds9002/apds9002.cxx
+++ b/src/apds9002/apds9002.cxx
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 
 #include "apds9002.hpp"
+#include "upm_string_parser.hpp"
 
 using namespace upm;
 
 APDS9002::APDS9002(int pin)
 {
-  if ( !(m_aio = mraa_aio_init(pin)) ) 
+  if ( !(m_aio = mraa_aio_init(pin)) )
     {
       throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(__FUNCTION__) +
                                   ": mraa_aio_init() failed, invalid pin?");
@@ -40,6 +41,26 @@ APDS9002::APDS9002(int pin)
     }
 }
 
+APDS9002::APDS9002(std::string initStr) : mraaIo(initStr)
+{
+  mraa_io_descriptor* descs = mraaIo.getMraaDescriptors();
+
+  if(!descs->aios)
+  {
+    throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(__FUNCTION__) +
+                                  ": mraa_aio_init() failed, invalid pin?");
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    if( !(m_aio = descs->aios[0]) )
+    {
+      throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(__FUNCTION__) +
+                              ": mraa_aio_init() failed, invalid pin?");
+
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 APDS9002::~APDS9002()
 {
   mraa_aio_close(m_aio);
diff --git a/src/apds9002/apds9002.hpp b/src/apds9002/apds9002.hpp
index 062525b1..d0406ee1 100644
--- a/src/apds9002/apds9002.hpp
+++ b/src/apds9002/apds9002.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <mraa/aio.h>
+#include <mraa/initio.hpp>
 
 namespace upm {
   /**
@@ -60,6 +61,12 @@ namespace upm {
      * @param pin Analog pin to use
      */
     APDS9002(int pin);
+    /**
+     * Instantiates APDS-9002 Luminance Sensor based on a given string.
+     *
+     * @param initStr string containing specific information for APDS-9002 initialization.
+     */
+    APDS9002(std::string initStr);
     /**
      * APDS9002 destructor
      */
@@ -73,6 +80,7 @@ namespace upm {
 
   private:
     mraa_aio_context m_aio;
+    mraa::MraaIo mraaIo;
   };
 }