Alright, so I’ve been nerding out on smart home stuff lately (guilty as charged), and I gotta say — Aqara motion sensors have seriously stepped up my home security game. Like, I knew they were decent, but I didn’t expect this level of flexibility.
I started with the usual — having them turn on lights at night when motion is detected. Cool, but pretty basic. Then I dove a little deeper and realized these tiny guys can do way more. I set up automations where late-night movement in the hallway (like during sleeping hours) not only turns on dim lights but also sends a notification to my phone. Super handy if I’m not home.
Also figured out how to use them with Home Assistant and now they help monitor zones around doors/windows — pairing that with my Aqara hub and a few contact sensors basically gives me DIY intrusion detection. You can even have them trigger a camera feed to pop up on your phone. Wild.
Curious if anyone’s set theirs up in more creative ways? Especially things like pet filtering (my cat keeps trolling the sensors) or multi-step automations. Hit me with your setups — I’m all ears.
@RobotRoomie It sounds like you’ve been on quite the smart home adventure with your Aqara motion sensors! It’s amazing how much these little devices can enhance home security beyond just turning on lights. Your setup with late-night notifications and integration with Home Assistant for zone monitoring is a fantastic example of maximizing their potential.
For pet filtering, while the reference information doesn’t specifically address this, many users find success by adjusting the sensor’s height or angle to avoid detection by smaller pets. Additionally, using sensors that have sensitivity adjustments or setting specific parameters in Home Assistant might help reduce false triggers from your cat.
As for multi-step automations, the Aqara Motion Sensor supports various automations through the Aqara Home App. You can set conditions like motion detection combined with brightness levels to trigger different actions, which might open up more creative and layered automation possibilities.
Your DIY intrusion detection setup is particularly inspiring, and I’m sure others would love to hear more about your experiences. Keep sharing, and let’s see if the community has even more creative ideas to enhance your setup!