Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 Evaluation

The Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 was launched globally a few weeks in the past. It replaces the FP1 which launched final yr, this wasn’t launched globally, however many individuals imported it from China because of its distinctive characteristic set.

Millimeter-wave vs PIR Sensors

The FP2 makes use of a 60GHz mmWave radar because the sensor compared to the infrared sensor you discover on regular movement sensors. The principle benefits of this are:

• Extremely correct. The mmWave radar can detect any movement in a room and might subsequently detect when somebody is in a room however not transferring. An IR sensor will usually fail to detect motion in case you are sitting down, which may consequently trigger no movement automation triggers.
• The FP2 can break down a room into 320 cells and will let you have 30 zones permitting you to set off distinctive actions for every zone.
• The FP2 can detect as much as 5 individuals concurrently.
• The FP2 ought to reply instantaneously

Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 Options

• Zone Positioning: It provides vital benefits over conventional PIR infrared movement sensors by utilizing a single radar sensor to watch rooms as much as ca. 430 sq ft (ca. 40 m2). Moreover, you’ll be able to divide it into as much as 30 zones, akin to couch, mattress, or desktop. Moreover, you’ll be able to arrange particular person automation for every zone. It’s as in the event you have been utilizing a number of PIR movement sensors concurrently with one Presence Sensor, FP2.
• Multi-person Detection: As much as 5 goal individuals will be detected concurrently. The result’s that, whereas dividing the house, it may well additionally reply mechanically in line with the place of various individuals with out interfering with one another.
• Extremely-Excessive Precision: Privateness and detection accuracy are considered. It’s able to recognising non-inductive sign detection with out amassing actual photos. Automation, basically, will be achieved domestically. Millimeter-wave radar know-how is extra steady than infrared sensor detection, even while you’re sitting or sleeping.
• Management Different Gadgets by way of HomeKit: The FP2 is uncovered as a number of sensors in HomeKit (and House Assistant), Alexa and Google House. You’ll be able to combine the sensor simply with out requiring a hub, which is outwardly one of the best answer for good house fans to increase your good house setup.
• Fall Detection and Alerts: When somebody in a room falls, the FP2 can detect and notify you. It’s made in probably the most non-public and handy approach doable, with out the necessity to put on any gadgets or set up a digital camera for fixed monitoring. The vary is a circle with a radius of two meters, and the accuracy of fall detection is >98%. The really helpful set up peak is 2.5 m-2.8 m.
• Constructed-in Gentle Sensor: Absolutely useful mild detection sensor within the Aqara ecosystem. With it, lighting automation turns into far more versatile and pleasant. The built-in mild sensor additionally permits for superior darkness-based house automation.
• Native Automation & Versatile Set up Methods: After the setup is full, the product runs domestically. FP2’s automation will nonetheless run as initially set if there’s occasional WiFi community instability. And it higher protects your privateness. It has a number of set up strategies to adapt to numerous set up situations.
• IPX5 and Hidden USB-C Port: Due to its IP ranking, the sensor may also be put in in moist environments akin to loos. The sensor has an open USB-C port, which lets you swap the included cable to any USB-C suitable one, rising the position flexibility.

mmWave Human Presence Sensor Comparability

Whereas I knew the FP1 existed, I wasn’t that accustomed to the product because it didn’t obtain a world launch. I additionally wasn’t conscious that there have been a few different mmWave sensors from Tuya. It is a know-how that can seemingly develop into extra widespread in good house tech over the following few years.

Setup

Usually with regards to organising good house tech, akin to sensors, there’s not a lot to put in writing about. This product is kind of completely different, and the setup course of is kind of concerned and would require some trial and error to get every little thing to work the way in which you need it to.

That is in all probability the primary draw back of this sensor, I feel some individuals is not going to be keen to spend a lot time tweaking issues to get it to work the way in which they need. However, that is the value you pay if you’d like one thing so delicate.

Detection Modes

There are three modes you need to use this sensor in

1. Solely allow physique existence monitoring
2. Personnel positioning
   • Supplies real-time location information and proximity sensing features
   • The instructed set up location is on a vertical floor (wall).
3. Falling detection
   • Used for detecting individuals falling
   • The instructed set up location is top-down on a ceiling, and this covers a round space with a radius of two meters

Whereas fall detection appears to be like extremely helpful for some situations, I might assume most individuals will use the personnel positioning choice.

Mapping your room and organising zones

It’s good to create a map of your room in order that the sensor can create the person zones. The fundamentals are fairly easy, however I discovered that it took some trial and error to get it working.

Edge

The primary a part of the room setup is to outline the room measurement and its edges. The automated course of asks you to maneuver round between all the sides of the room for improved detection accuracy.

When that is full, you’ll be able to manually regulate it. It didn’t look proper to me at first, so I walked across the room and adjusted the zone based mostly on the place my little dot presence dot was.

Interference Zone

With the sensor being very delicate, you will want to run a take a look at to determine doable causes of interference. One instance can be you probably have a fan working the room.

With this take a look at, it is advisable exit the room, and it’ll detect no matter is inflicting interference. For me, it appears to be like prefer it detected my desktop PC, or presumably the speaker that sits on prime of it. I assume the followers in my PC triggered it, which exhibits you ways delicate it may be.

Detection Zone

The detection zones are as you’d count on. This lets you section your room into zones, and you may set off actions based mostly on occasions inside every zone.

Exit and Entrance

You’ll be able to then outline the place the doorway and exit is.

It’s also doable to make use of stickers, so you’ll be able to visualise your room correctly. I didn’t put an excessive amount of effort in right here, I simply outlined my workplace desk and a mattress that’s within the room, which helped me visualise the place I wished my detection zones.

Third-Celebration Zigbee Hubs – Homey Bridge

With Aqara being based mostly on Zigbee, many individuals like to make use of the sensors with completely different hubs. Homey is about the best choice for the big selection of gadgets it helps.

Homey helps quite a lot of the Aqara sensors, however it doesn’t assist the FP2, they don’t even assist the FP1.

Efficiency / Automation

I set this up in my workplace as it’s seemingly one of the best room for the particular options. I spend most of my day sitting at my desk working, so a PIR sensor isn’t a lot use as a result of it wouldn’t be delicate sufficient to detect my presence.

I saved issues fairly easy, primarily as a result of I don’t have a lot want for something too fancy.

I used the sensor to manage the ceiling mild in my room, which is among the Aqara Tunable LED bulbs.

I arrange comparatively fundamental automation. When I’m sitting at my desk, the sunshine switches on. After I enter the detection zone close to my door, the sunshine switches off.

The triggers you’ve gotten are extra in depth than a traditional PIR sensor. You get:

• Presence/Absence (with a while choices)
• Enter/Go away
• Somebody Approaching/Going Away
• Somebody falls down / Fall down and exceeds a sure time
• Illuminance triggers

It’s fairly helpful as I tend to go away my lights on all day although I’m out and in of the workplace lots.

With my room arrange correctly, this fundamental automation labored completely and was close to instantaneous.

Worth and Different Choices

The Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 has an RRP of £99.99. It’s at present out of inventory on Amazon UK however launched at a diminished worth of £82.99.

You’ll be able to import the unique FP1 from Aliexpress for round £40.

Amazon lists another MmWave presence sensors which can be fairly inexpensive. These will be both ZigBee or WiFi, and these all look like the Tuya PS-HPS Human Presence Sensor. Hardly any of those have critiques.

The Tuya ZY-M100 can also be listed beneath random manufacturers for round £30 and customarily has poor critiques.

The most effective alternate options are going to be regular IR sensors.

Aqara Movement Sensor P1 is battery-powered, extremely simple to arrange and simply £25, however it’s far much less correct, and the characteristic set is fundamental because of this.

You even have issues just like the Aeotec Multisensor 6. That is nonetheless only a fundamental IR sensor, however you even have temperature, humidity, mild, UV, and vibration. That is round £50.

Total

The Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 is an extremely spectacular piece of know-how which has considerably superior performance in comparison with regular IR movement sensors, and there aren’t any different merchandise that may compete.

This additionally works in opposition to the FP2. It’s so delicate it’s far more tough to arrange than an IR sensor, and at over £80, it’s an costly funding.

Total, there’s nothing else fairly like this, and in case you are blissful to take a while setting it up correctly, it’s excellent.

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Final replace on 2023-05-14 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photographs from Amazon Product Promoting API