Shelly’s New Presence Sensor Simultaneously Detects Up To 10 People Without A Camera

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Shelly has announced the Presence Gen4, a camera-free smart-home sensor that the company says can detect up to 10 people at once using mmWave radar. It is available through Shelly’s online store for $84.99 and supports several major smart-home platforms; independent performance testing and details about broader retail availability were not provided in the source report.

Shelly has launched the Presence Gen4, a camera-free smart-home sensor that uses mmWave radar to detect the presence and movement of up to 10 people at once. The device is priced at $84.99 through Shelly’s online store and can trigger connected home devices when people enter or leave a monitored area.

The Presence Gen4 uses mmWave radar rather than video to sense people, their motions and activities, according to the report by The Verge. Shelly says the unit can monitor an area of up to 650 square feet and has a 140-degree horizontal field of view. It can sit on a shelf or table using its built-in stand, or be mounted on a wall.

The sensor supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Matter, and can be integrated with Google Home, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, the report says. It connects to power through a USB-C cable, so it needs access to an outlet or another suitable power source rather than operating as a fully wireless, battery-powered device.

Users can configure up to 10 separate detection zones and adjust how each responds. For example, an automation could switch on a lamp when someone sits at a desk, or activate a home theater when a person is on a sofa. Shelly also allows users to include pets in detection or adjust sensitivity to reduce triggers from low-to-the-ground objects such as a robot vacuum.

Camera-Free Sensing for Home Automations

The device offers smart-home users another way to trigger automations based on whether people are present, without relying on a camera image. That distinction may matter to people who want lights, heating, cooling or music to respond to occupancy but prefer not to install a video camera in a room. Radar detection avoids recording video, although the source report does not provide details about what sensor data is stored or transmitted.

Its ability to monitor multiple people and divide a space into configurable zones could make occupancy-based routines more specific than a simple room-level motion trigger. A light could respond to a person at a desk rather than movement anywhere in the room, for instance. Those capabilities may be useful in larger spaces, but their practical accuracy and reliability are not established by the product announcement alone.

Platform compatibility is another selling point: support for Matter and several established smart-home systems could let buyers connect the sensor to devices from different brands. The need for a USB-C power connection remains a practical limitation for placement, especially where there is no convenient outlet.

Shelly’s Expanding Smart-Home Range

The Presence Gen4 announcement follows Shelly’s launch of a $50 subscription-free security camera the previous month, according to The Verge. The new sensor is a separate accessory aimed at automations based on presence rather than camera monitoring.

In the report, Shelly’s device was listed as available immediately from the company’s online store, with Amazon and Best Buy named as retailers expected to carry it soon. The report does not give a date for those listings. The Presence Gen4’s advertised features include multi-person detection, adjustable zones, pet detection options and integrations with major smart-home platforms.

Performance and Retail Details Pending

The available report does not include independent tests of the sensor’s 10-person detection claim, its accuracy in different room layouts, or how well it distinguishes people from pets and other moving objects. It also does not explain whether the 650-square-foot coverage figure depends on placement, room shape or other conditions.

Although the product is described as detecting presence and activity without a camera, the source material does not specify what information the device processes or stores, whether any data leaves the home, or how those settings are controlled. The report also does not provide a firm date for availability through Amazon, Best Buy or other retailers. Those details remain unconfirmed in the supplied material.

Retail Rollout and Hands-On Testing

Shelly’s online store is the confirmed sales channel in the report, with the Presence Gen4 priced at $84.99. The company is expected to bring it to retailers including Amazon and Best Buy, but a launch schedule for those stores was not given.

More information from Shelly or independent reviews could clarify how reliably the sensor handles multiple people, pets and different room configurations, and how its data is managed. Buyers considering it for an existing smart home can check the listed platform support and confirm that a convenient USB-C power source is available where they plan to install it.

Key Questions

What is the Shelly Presence Gen4?

It is a smart-home presence sensor that uses mmWave radar to detect people, movement and activity without a camera, according to the product details reported by The Verge.

How many people can it detect at once?

Shelly says the Presence Gen4 can detect up to 10 people simultaneously. The supplied report does not include independent testing of that claim.

How much does the sensor cost?

The listed price is $84.99 through Shelly’s online store. The report says other retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy, are expected to carry it, but gives no dates or retailer prices.

Which smart-home systems does it support?

The report lists Google Home, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, along with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Matter support.

Does it need to be plugged in?

Yes. The Presence Gen4 uses a USB-C power cable, so it needs access to a power source at its installation location.

Source: rss