There is no shortage of HomeKit smart home accessories these days, and we haven't always been able to say that. Aqara is one company that has a record of producing solid options for people who want HomeKit-compatible hardware, and the company's latest accessory is a new presence sensor.
The Aqara Presence Sensor FP1E is designed to help people create smart home automation that needs to know whether someone is in the room before being initiated. Such a thing would be useful if you want to turn the lights off when people leave a room, for example.
However, while this new Aqara presence sensor does support HomeKit there's something of a catch — you'll need Aqara's Matter Bridge for it to work.
Smart monitoring
Aqara announced the presence sensor via press release, saying that it allows "for precise, prompt presence detection that can be used for various home automation scenarios."
When installed alongside a hub the accessory will work with all Matter-compatible platforms including HomeKit as well as Amazon's Alexa, Google Home, and more.
The press release also detailed what makes a presence sensor so useful.
"Aqara Home users can utilize the FP1E to detect human movement or stillness within a space, unlocking a wide range of automation possibilities triggered by moving/still status along with the status duration," Aqara explains. "For example, the sensor can detect if the user remained still for over 30 minutes and can send notifications or change the color of the user’s smart lights as a gentle reminder to stand up. This automation aims to promote a healthier routine, reduce the risks of sedentary behavior, and prioritize self-care with visual cues and reminders."
If that sounds like something that you could make use of, the new Aqara presence sensor is available now for $50.
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