If infrared radiation has long been used to detect movements, connected home specialists are increasingly turning to radio waves. The latter make it possible to obtain more precise information, without necessarily adding hardware in the case of wifi; this is notably the option chosen by Wiz with SpaceSense. Aqara, for its part, took the plunge at the start of the year by launching its FP2 presence sensor. If it communicates well via wifi, it relies on millimeter waves to detect movements – the same waves which should boost 5G speeds, here between 60 and 64 GHz – and thanks to them promises increased precision . So this sensor is not only capable of detecting movements. It can also locate them (in 30 zones), detect falls and now analyze sleep.
In any case, this is what an update being deployed since last week should allow. Thanks to this, Aqara’s FP2 sensor gains several features, including sleep monitoring. And the amount of information provided is surprising. They include the duration of sleep, but also its different phases as well as heart rate and respiratory rate. In short, this sensor would do as much as a watch, but in a much less intrusive way since it simply attaches above the bed, on the wall. Aqara adds that it is possible to sleep under a thick duvet without compromising measurements. Additionally, sleep data could be used to trigger automations, such as turning off lights at bedtime or simulating a sunrise when you wake up.
It is nevertheless specified that a sensor can only analyze the sleep of one person. If you share your bed with someone who also wishes to benefit from this monitoring, you will need to purchase a second one. The FP2 sensor also cannot track sleep and detect movement simultaneously. You must therefore choose one function or the other.
It should also be noted that motion detection also improves via this update with the addition of people detection. The sensor would in fact become capable of differentiating moving people from moving objects or animals, thus limiting false alarms. This can obviously also be interesting for automations. Finally, the update brings a people counting function, with entry tracking. Aqara promises to enrich the functionalities available around this data, but we must recognize that we already see less interest in it in a private context. So let’s see what it will be possible to do with it later. For now, the FP2 sensor is still available for just over €80.