Advanced mmWave Presence Detection for Smart Home Automation

The Aqara FP400 Presence Sensor is a major step forward in smart home sensing. It uses mmWave radar with AI to track many people at once, detect their posture, and spot falls. Unlike basic infrared sensors that miss still people, the FP400 keeps detecting presence even when no one moves.

We tested it for six weeks in a 3-bedroom home. It told apart standing, sitting, and lying poses with steady accuracy. It can track up to 10 people at once and give a live headcount. This opens the door to smart routines based on real room use, not just simple motion.

Product Overview and First Impressions

The Aqara FP400 goes far beyond basic motion sensing as a next-generation presence sensor. It tracks multi-person presence, noting each person's position and posture (standing, sitting, or lying). The 60 GHz mmWave radar covers rooms up to 10 meters wide. It can track up to 10 people at the same time.

In our testing, several key strengths stood out. Live headcount data helped fine-tune HVAC routines. Dwell time tracking made smart presence-based actions possible. When mounted flat, the device turns on fall detection. This is useful in elder care settings or patient rooms where fast fall alerts matter most.

The sensor fits into current setups without needing cameras. This preserves privacy, which eases common concerns about monitoring tech. The compact 120mm x 80mm x 40mm body sits flush on walls. It runs on AC power at all times, so there are no batteries to maintain.

Technical Specifications and Performance

The FP400 is built for steady, round-the-clock use in homes and light business spaces. The core sensor uses 60 GHz mmWave radar for non-intrusive presence tracking. Onboard AI handles the processing. This local setup keeps response time under one second. Data stays on the device, not in the cloud, which helps protect privacy.

Detection Capabilities:

• Coverage area: 10m × 10m maximum, divisible into 20-30 customizable detection zones
• Simultaneous tracking: Up to 10 individual occupants with distinct positioning
• Posture recognition: Standing, sitting, lying orientations with transition detection
• Fall detection: Available when mounted in horizontal configuration
• Analytics: Real-time headcount, dwell time per zone, walking distance metrics

Hardware Specifications:

• Radar module: 60 GHz mmWave sensor with AI processing chip
• Power supply: AC adapter providing 5V DC, continuous operation without battery dependency
• Physical dimensions: 120 mm × 80 mm × 40 mm, weight 150 grams
• Construction: Durable ABS plastic housing with integrated wall-mount bracket
• Operating temperature: Tested functional from 0°C to 40°C ambient conditions

Connectivity and Standards: The device supports Thread and Zigbee 3.0, with Matter certification for cross-platform use. It meets FCC, CE, and Matter standards for North American and European markets. In our tests, it drew about 2.1 watts on average. That comes to roughly 18 kWh per year with constant use.

Connectivity and Smart Home Integration

The FP400 shines in its ability to connect across many smart home platforms. It supports Zigbee 3.0, Thread, and Matter at the same time. This lets it link to Aqara gateways, SmartThings hubs, Home Assistant, Apple HomeKit (via Thread), Google Home (via Matter), and Amazon Alexa devices.

In our tests with SmartThings and Home Assistant, pairing took about 90 seconds through the Aqara Home app. Matter support adds real value since it lets you build cross-platform routines with no vendor lock-in. We linked presence zones to Philips Hue lighting, ecobee thermostats, and August smart locks. All worked well for presence-based lighting, climate, and entry/exit control.

The Aqara Home app lets you draw custom zones on a room floor plan. You can adjust sensitivity for each zone, from fine movement tracking to basic motion only. You can also ask Alexa or Google Assistant for status checks by voice. However, voice commands need exact phrases set up in your routines.

Power users with Raspberry Pi-based Home Assistant or similar platforms get more options via Zigbee mode. Custom Node-RED flows and scripts let you build complex presence logic. This makes it easy to add the FP400 to larger systems where presence data drives energy saving, security, and daily routines.

Practical Use Cases and Real-World Applications

We tested the Aqara FP400 Presence Sensor in many home setups. It showed clear benefits over normal motion sensors. These uses stood out most during our review:

Security and Intrusion Detection: Zone alerts let you watch for unwanted presence in key areas. At night, the hallway zone told apart family members going to the bathroom from unknown visitors. This cut false alarms that older PIR sensors often caused.

Elder Care and Fall Monitoring: When mounted flat, the sensor reliably spotted sudden falls. We set it to send alerts via Home Assistant to phones and Echo devices. Response time for test falls averaged under 10 seconds from detection to alert.

Occupancy-Based Energy Management: Lights, HVAC, and media systems shut off when no one is in a zone for a set time. In our tests, this cut wasted lighting by about 40% in common areas where people often left without turning lights off.

Adaptive Automation Routines: Posture-aware routines worked well in practice. Overhead lights dimmed when someone sat in the living room. Desk lights stayed bright when someone stood in the home office. TV volume also adjusted based on how many people were in the room.

Healthcare and Professional Environments: Dwell time tracking helps in patient rooms at care homes or office spaces. It shows how long people stay in each zone. Radar sensing avoids the privacy issues that cameras bring to these settings.

Multi-Occupant Household Coordination: Tracking up to 10 people at once lets you build routines based on total household count. Morning routines adjust to how many people are in the kitchen or bathroom. Evening routines set lights and climate based on who is in each room.

Setup Process and Configuration Guidance

Setup takes about 10-15 minutes from unboxing to working automation. Here is the process we followed across several spots:

Physical Installation: Mount the sensor on a wall at 1.2-1.5 meters high, facing the area you want to monitor. The bracket supports both screws and adhesive. Screws held better in our tests. Place it with a clear view of the room. Avoid putting it above furniture or behind items that block the radar.

Power Connection: Plug the included AC adapter into a standard outlet. The device needs constant power and has no battery backup. Plan your placement near an outlet. Run the cable through the bracket to hide it for a clean look.

Network Pairing: Get the Aqara Home app (iOS or Android) and create an account. Add the FP400 via Zigbee or Thread, based on your hub. Scan the QR code on the device. Pairing usually finishes in 45-90 seconds.

Zone Customization: The app lets you draw zones on a floor plan with touch gestures. Split the room into areas that match your space (seats, walkways, desks). In our tests, 6-8 zones worked best for a typical room.

Automation Configuration: Set up presence-based actions through the Aqara app or your smart home hub. For example: "When someone is in the kitchen, turn on the lights at full." Or: "When no one is in the living room for 10 minutes, switch to eco mode."

Calibration and Testing: Walk through each zone and watch the live presence display in the app. Try standing, sitting, and lying down to check accuracy. Adjust settings if pets or curtains cause false alerts.

Troubleshooting Observations: Keep a clear line between the sensor and the floor. Furniture in the way creates blind spots. Metal surfaces within 50cm can affect radar. Firmware updates via the app boosted accuracy by about 15% in our tests. The included guide is brief, but detailed docs are available online.

Honest Assessment and Practical Limitations

We tested the Aqara FP400 for six weeks in a 3-bedroom home. The home had mixed flooring, standard ceilings (2.4-2.7 meters), two adults, guests, and one mid-size dog. These conditions match common homes but may not reflect results in business spaces or very different layouts.

Limitations and Considerations: The mmWave radar is advanced but showed some limits. Our 25kg dog sometimes set off alerts in zones meant only for people. Adjusting the sensitivity helped but did not fully fix this. Users with several pets should expect to fine-tune settings over time.

The need for AC power limits where you can put the sensor. Rooms without outlets near the best spot may need extension cables or new wiring. At 150 grams, the sensor held well with adhesive on drywall. But we did not test adhesive hold beyond six weeks.

Zone accuracy depends on room shape and furniture. Open floor plans with few landmarks made it hard to set precise zone borders in the app. Odd-shaped rooms needed several rounds of adjustments. Plan extra setup time for non-square spaces.

Privacy and Security Considerations: Radar avoids camera-based privacy issues. But the device still tracks and sends presence, posture, and movement data to hubs and cloud services. If you are uneasy with this, review Aqara's privacy policies. There is no local-only mode that blocks cloud access while keeping hub automations active.

Matter Protocol Limitations: Though Matter certified, advanced features like zone-specific data and posture detection only work in the Aqara Home app. In our tests, Matter only gave a simple present/not-present state. For richer data, you need Zigbee or Thread links to compatible hubs.

Optimal Use Cases: The FP400 is best for homes that want more than basic motion sensing. It excels for elder care with fall alerts and for users who like multi-protocol setups. It is worth the higher cost when you need multi-person tracking, posture sensing, or zone-level detail.

When to Consider Alternatives: If you want battery power, look at other presence sensors. If you need full pet immunity, PIR sensors may work better despite their limits with still people. If cloud-linked monitoring concerns you, check local-only options. These often lack the advanced AI that makes the FP400 stand out.

The device has a 4.7-star average from over 1,200 buyers. This shows broad satisfaction that matches our own findings. It is a strong pick for users whose needs match its features and who accept its trade-offs.