NOVELDA's Tiny USB X4F103 Uses Impulse Radar to Monitor Movement, Right Down to Individual Breaths

from hackster.io

Sensor specialist NOVELDA has announced its latest-generation ultra-wideband (UWB) X4F103 sensor — claiming to offer "more accurate touch-free interaction" for smart homes and automation systems, including human presence sensing and motion detection.

"This next generation of human sensors designed for smart home and intelligent building automation will make environments more context-aware to improve interactive experiences, reduce the cost of powering a device when no one is around, and extend screen life by preventing unnecessary backlighting, reducing overall energy consumption," claims NOVELDA chief executive Jan-Bjørnar Lund of his company's latest design.

"Our sensors have been evaluated in challenging real-world conditions and have demonstrated robust performance leagues better than other comparable solutions. UWB is going to drive the next revolution in wireless technology and we believe it will be as widely used as Bluetooth."

Small enough to fit on the tip of your finger, the NOVELDA UWB sensor uses ultra-wideband impulse radar to detect motions as small as a person breathing — allowing to distinguish human presence from other objects in a room. Using on-board antennas, the device is claimed to operate through glass, plastic, or wood — and can detect breath even when the subject is under a duvet or wearing several layers of clothing.

NOVELDA promises those adopting its sensors a range of sensitivity settings, capable of detecting "sub-millimeter micro-movements such as breathing" and scaling up to motion sensing including hand gestures and walking. The sensor also offers distance measurements and absolute range bounding, a claimed 180-degree field of view with zone control to 5m (around 16.4 feet), and power consumption below 2mW.

The company has promised demo kits of the new UWB X4F103 sensor "for select customers," with interested parties able to contact the company via its web form.