Alright , I gotta share this. I got my hands on the Aqara Camera Hub G3 a few months ago, and at first, I just used it like does—monitoring the front door, checking on my dog, yada yada. But then I started experimenting a bit… and honestly, this lil guy can do way more than I thought!
Here’s a few creative things I’ve been using it for:
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3D Printer Time-Lapse: I set it up near my Ender 3 and use time-lapse recordings to track prints while I’m away. Plus, with motion detection, I can get alerts if something goes wrong mid-print (like spaghetti monster disasters).
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Plant Monitoring Station: I placed it near my hydroponic setup to keep tabs on water levels and growth progress. It’s surprisingly useful for making weekly update clips too.
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Mailbox Watchdog: Mounted it near my indoor mailbox slot to catch when the post arrives—you’d be shocked how unpredictable the mail timing is where I live.
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Garage Door Proof: Hooked it into HomeKit so I always know if the garage door’s truly closed. Big bonus: setting an automation to alert me if it stays open past 10 PM.
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Babysitter Mode for My Coffee Machine: Okay hear me out—my machine has a sneaky power issue where it blinks when idle too long. I set up person detection targeted at the LED to trigger a notification when it stops lighting up. Now I know it needs a reset before I stumble into the kitchen.
Anyone else tried weird or quirky setups with their Aqara cams? Drop your hacks below—I’m itching to try some new ideas.