PIR motion sensors may claim “99% presence detection” but will rarely say the same for vacancy detection. However, if you think about it, it’s really the vacancy detection that helps to fully automate various building controls. Elevators, lights, HVAC systems can all be automated properly, without causing any discomfort for occupants. Janitorial services and security patrols can also be optimized if occupancy information – including when, how many and how long someone was using a space (ie: toilet/co-working desk/meeting room) is available in real-time.

Xandar Kardian’s radars are designed to detect presence at 99.9% accuracy within 1-3 millisecond. More importantly however, it can sense and confirm vacancy within 20-40 seconds (delayed on purpose to compensate for occupant who many be going through sleep apnea whereby they are not breathing for 30 seconds).

Alternatively, PIR motion sensors just simply doesn’t know when a space is completely vacated. If someone exited the space, it will start the countdown – sometimes 5 minutes, 15 minutes or even 30 minutes to ensure that lights and HVAC systems stay on in case someone is still occupying the space.

Even in one office room scenario, it could mean the difference of 135 seconds of lights & HVAC being left on (with Xandar Kardian radar sensors) vs. 270 minutes, or 4.5 hours (PIR motion sensors based on 30 minute vacancy timer).