Novelda, a developer and manufacturer of adaptive smart sensors, announced two new modules – the X4M300 Presence Sensor for occupancy sensing and the X4M200 Respiration Sensor for non-contact respiration and vital-sign monitoring. Both modules benefit from improvements made by Novelda in the performance, integration and functional capability of its ultra-wideband impulse radar system-on-chip (SoC) design. These advances have also yielded a smaller-size, lower-power, lower-cost implementation that allows these modules to be readily deployed without needing to be an expert in radar or antenna design.

The X4 SoC, which operates at unlicensed center frequencies of 7.29 GHz or 8.748 GHz, has a configurable frame size and can operate 10x faster than previously. This enables a greater range of up to 10 m for presence detection, for a target with a 0.1 m² cross-section, while offering a respiration monitoring zone of 0.4 – 5.0 m, for detecting breathing patterns or frequency when the target is otherwise still.

What sets Novelda’s sensors apart from alternative solutions is that, as the XeThru name suggests, the use of sensitive radar technology allows the sensors to see through most materials. This means, for example, the sensors can be hidden within walls or above ceilings for tamper-proof security or aesthetic reasons, and are not obstructed by furniture, bedding or clothes. The technology is also unaffected by dust, smoke, moisture or darkness, and functions reliably in harsh and dirty environments.

For healthcare and wellness applications, the non-contact nature of the sensor’s operation avoids the discomfort of body-worn sensors and allows unobtrusive vital-sign monitoring in medical environments. XeThru sensors also overcome the privacy concerns raised by cameras in elderly care situations. In presence detection applications, the sensors are far more sensitive and discriminating than PIR sensors, avoiding false detection due the movement of other objects and ensuring the lights stay on even when the occupant is only breathing!

“Customers who choose to go with XeThru off-the-shelf sensor modules gain all the performance advantages of our highly-optimized X4 SoC with the very real benefit of a proven sensor design that they can take to market immediately”, said Cornelia Mender, CEO, noting, “Not everyone has the expertise or desire to develop their own radar sensing solutions, even using our SoC. For these people our modules provide a cost-effective solution that out-performs competing technologies for demanding occupancy and vital-sign detection”.