2024-08-02
The Importance of Sensors in Smart Homes
In today's rapidly advancing technological era, sensors have become increasingly important as key information collection and triggering devices in smart home systems. On March 16, Huawei held its spring launch event, focusing on its vision of "whole-house intelligence," which includes smart central control screens, smart panels and switches, AI super-sensing sensors, and intelligent lighting drivers. This layout demonstrates Huawei's precise understanding of the consumer market and reflects the immense potential of the smart home market.
According to Statista, global smart home market revenue reached $126.11 billion in 2022, with an average revenue per smart home household of $409.69. By 2026, the market size is expected to further grow to $207.81 billion, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3%. In China, smart home market revenue is anticipated to reach $25.067 billion in 2022 and grow to $45.271 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 15.93%, higher than the global market's CAGR by 2.6%. By 2026, the number of active households in the Chinese market is expected to reach 142.1 million.
For example, on March 11, Wingtech Technology Co., Ltd. announced the establishment of multiple business collaborations with an overseas specific client, involving computers, smart home devices, and other sectors. Following this, supply chain sources indicated that this overseas client is Apple, marking Wingtech's entry into Apple's product supply chain and showcasing the vast potential of the smart home market.
On October 12, Hanwei Electronics Group Corporation reported on the interactive platform that its sensor products have established good cooperation with Huawei in the smart home field. Both parties have built good communication channels for product application solutions. The company plans to closely follow customer needs, continuously improve product performance, and optimize application solutions to meet more product demands and intelligent experiences.
Common Types of Sensors in Smart Homes
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental monitoring sensors provide data support to create a comfortable and healthy home environment. For instance, Eyin Electronics' PM2.5 sensors and temperature sensors are used in the automotive industry. Its subsidiary Huichang produces temperature sensors that can also be used in smart home products like water heaters, air conditioners, and smart toilets.
Safety Protection
Safety is always a top concern, and gas, smoke, and door sensors play crucial roles in ensuring home safety. On November 17, according to the State Intellectual Property Office's announcement, Xiamen Dnake Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. obtained a patent for a wireless charging method for smart home security sensors. This method is based on security sensors, electromagnetic stations, and smart home gateways. When a security sensor detects low battery power, it sends a low battery alarm to the smart home gateway, which then identifies the area and controls the corresponding electromagnetic station to emit signals for charging until the battery is fully charged.
Human Sensing
Human sensing sensors better meet people's personalized needs for smart homes. On February 23, 2023, the smart home brand Aqara released a new human scene sensor, FP2, which uses millimeter-wave technology and supports both side and top installation modes. The side installation can identify a large area of about 40 square meters, while the top installation covers around two meters. Unlike general sensors, the FP2 can not only detect "whether there are people in the room" but also precisely locate "the exact area where people are in the room" and detect falls without using camera vision, alerting the smart home system.
Additionally, on April 8, 2024, Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai obtained a patent for a "concentric semicircular microstrip antenna and wireless sensor antenna based on smart homes." The antenna structure includes a dielectric layer, a ground plane, and an antenna resonator, combined with a WiFi module onboard PCB antenna design. This design meets the 2.4ISM frequency band and sensor work requirements, offering low cost and miniaturization advantages suitable for smart home wireless sensor modules.
As technology continues to advance and people's demands for quality of life increase, the application of sensors in smart homes will become more widespread, bringing more convenience, comfort, and safety to people's lives. Relevant companies are also increasing their research and development investments, promoting innovation and development in sensor technology. In the future, the smart home market is expected to continue its rapid growth, with sensors playing an increasingly important role as the "intelligent eyes" of smart homes.
