A tech enthusiast details the challenges of replacing traditional motion sensors with mmWave presence sensors, ultimately concluding that the complex setup process often outweighs the convenience of automated lighting.

Key Points

• The author attempted to upgrade bathroom lighting automation using Aqara FP2 and FP300 mmWave presence sensors to detect stationary occupants.
• Unlike infrared motion sensors, mmWave technology detects micro-movements like breathing but proved unreliable due to false positives and connectivity issues.
• Troubleshooting efforts, including power-cycling, resetting, and relocating the hardware, failed to resolve persistent detection errors within the Aqara app.
• The project required additional investment in a Matter-Zigbee hub, which the author ultimately repurposed for monitoring room temperature and humidity instead.

Why it Matters

This experience highlights the current limitations of smart home automation, where high-end sensors often introduce more complexity than they resolve. It serves as a reminder that manual controls remain a reliable, low-maintenance alternative for basic household tasks when advanced technology fails to deliver consistent performance.