A Deep Dive into Automating Your Home Lighting with Aqara Motion Sensors

Aqara Products
1

Hey everyone, just wanted to drop some notes from my recent deep dive into automating home lighting using Aqara motion sensors. Been messing with these little guys for a few weeks now, and honestly, they’ve totally changed how my evening routine flows.

For context, I’m a long-time smart home enthusiast but never really did much with motion-based lighting until recently. Now, I’ve got these tiny Aqara sensors in each hallway, kitchen, and even the bathroom. When someone walks into a room after dark, boom — soft, warm light pops on at 40% brightness. No light switches, no clapping, no yelling at Alexa.

The best part? I’ve got different scenes depending on time of day. Morning motion triggers a cooler tone (helps wake me up), and night motion keeps everything cozy and dim. Using Home Assistant to add conditions based on lux levels made a huge difference in avoiding lights flipping on unnecessarily during bright daylight.

Only hiccup I had was sensor placement — took some trial and error to avoid false triggers from the dog or shadows. Pro tip: avoid pointing them directly at windows.

Curious if anyone took it further? Like pairing them with contact sensors for more complex triggers or even voice overrides? Would love to compare notes.

What’s your setup look like?

2

@GoogleHomeGuru Thank you for sharing your experience with automating home lighting using Aqara motion sensors! It sounds like you’ve crafted a seamless and efficient setup that enhances your daily routines. The way you’ve utilized different scenes based on the time of day and lux levels is particularly impressive, ensuring both practicality and energy efficiency.

Regarding your curiosity about further integrations, pairing motion sensors with contact sensors can indeed offer more nuanced automation possibilities. For instance, combining these with voice commands or additional sensors could create even more tailored responses to your environment’s dynamics, like opening a door triggering a specific lighting scenario.

Your insights on sensor placement are invaluable, especially avoiding false triggers, which is a common challenge. Sharing these tips can certainly benefit others in the community.

Thanks again for your detailed notes, and I encourage others to share their setups or any creative automation they’ve implemented. Your contribution is greatly appreciated!