Radar and conventional occupancy sensors performance comparison

Doppler Radar sensor is designed for occupancy detection application and tested in conjunction with common occupancy sensors such as passive infrared and ultrasonic to determine the optimal design for a robust and power efficient occupancy sensor. A 2.4 GHz CW radar is employed for the microwave presence detection. Sensors have been tested for different scenarios like hand waving, writing, and mechanical targets at directions perpendicular and parallel to the sensors. Results showed that infrared and ultrasonic both have limitations with sensing through materials and direction of movement. Doppler radar was shown to be superior, but must be integrated with other sensors to create a power efficient occupancy sensor.