14 Ways Occupancy Sensors Enhance Your Home: Lifestyle and Luxury
Occupancy sensors are electronic devices set up around your home that detect if someone is there. Motion sensors (one type of occupancy sensor) have been used for AGES outdoors—just think of floodlights in the neighbor’s backyard!!
In the home today, though, NEW technology has turned occupancy sensors of all kinds into the linchpin for next-level convenience and luxury…
Just imagine:
- …lights that automatically come on, turn off, and adjust to the number of people
- …heating and air that set temperatures based on the number of people in a room
- …doors that automatically lock or unlock based on where you go
- …even smart speakers that turn the news on in the morning when you get up!
These are just some of the ways that occupancy sensors can take your comfort, security, and enjoyment to a whole new level in your home.
Keep reading to get inspired…and decide for yourself what you’ll do first!!
What are occupancy sensors?
Occupancy sensors are low-profile wireless devices that you set up anywhere in or around your home. Different sensors detect different things, including movement, temperature, or the opening or closing of a door.
Next, those sensors tell other smart devices how to react.
The smart devices in your home might include…
- Lights
- Plugs
- Speakers
- Thermostats
- Refrigerators
- Coffee machines
- Even faucets and more!
Without you pushing buttons or getting up, or even needing to speak a command, these sensors detect and command for you.
Essentially, your house can run on autopilot…
Types of Occupancy Sensors You Should Know About
Before getting into the fun stuff, it’s important to know the difference between the new types of occupancy sensors. Some are better for specific devices than others…
- Passive Infrared (PIR) Detector: this detector measures air temperature. The PIR instantly detects the heat of a person and reacts with whatever command you want it to do (like turning on a light).
- Combined PIR and Ultrasonic Detector: this is a special type of PIR that sends out an ultrasonic wave, too. This makes readings more accurate, meaning they are better for security and alarm activation.
- Active Ultrasonic Detector: this emits a sound wave (WAY above what human ears can hear, don’t worry) to track the presence of people or their movement in a space. It can send precise commands based on occupancy (how many people are in a room) as well as movement, meaning you can program “if/then” rules for everything from lighting to heat and air…
- Passive Ultrasonic Detector: this listens for a range of sound frequencies, but these detectors are considered less accurate than active ultrasonic detectors above.
- Microwave Detector and Occupancy Sensor: this emits a range of microwaves to detect movement. These are often battery-operated, meaning they work during power outages!
- Combined PIR and Microwave Occupancy Sensor: this works GREAT in spaces with windows because the microwaves emitted (plus the air temperature readings) allow these detectors to sense what’s on the other side of glass windows. This can activate commands when someone approaches a window, even at night!
14 Ways to Use Occupancy Sensors to Level-Up Your Lifestyle and Luxury
According to about half the articles on the internet, occupancy sensors are all about controlling lights.
The OTHER half of articles go on about occupancy sensors and their use in security.
These are two practical and attractive ways to use occupancy sensors in your home…but it’s not all they can do!
Any smart device in the home can be given a command by occupancy sensors. In real-life applications for comfort, security, and sense of luxury in your home, that can means they can…
- Unlock or lock doors
- Control the thermostat
- Kick on the smart vacuum
- Start pre-heating the oven
- Turn on the ventilation in the bathroom
- Turn the smart TV on to the perfect channel
- Turn up the sound on a baby or pet monitor!
- Turn the temperature in the fridge up or down
- Turn on the music when you climb into the tub
- Activate or change the settings on your home security
- Turn on the coffee maker when you get up in the morning
- Have the music follow you room-to-room on the smart speakers
- Automatically lower the toilet seat when someone leaves the bathroom…
- And yeah, they can turn on the lights and even adjust them, too!
Added bonus: many of these automations do a GREAT job of lowering your utility bills, too…just think of all that automated efficiency!!
Imagine the music automatically coming on and the lights slowly dimming as you slip into the bathtub…if that isn’t total luxury, nothing is!
Occupancy sensors set up in homes today use different technology to give you every option for automations in your own space…
These nonobtrusive detectors turn your home into automated indulgence, and they help you be the best homeowner you can be. Your electricity costs come down and you get every convenience you can out of those smart devices!
Which of those 14 uses of occupancy sensors would you love right now? Tell us on Facebook…
