Shelly’s new presence sensor simultaneously detects up to 10 people without a camera

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

Following the launch of its $50 subscription-free security camera last month, Shelly announced another new accessory for smart home automation today that can keep track of multiple people as they move through rooms or large spaces without recording them. The Shelly Presence Gen4 sensor uses mmWave radar technology instead of a camera to detect the presence, motions, and activities of people and pets. It’s available starting today for $84.99 through Shelly’s online store and is expected to hit other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy soon.

The Presence Gen4 can be perched on a shelf or a table using its built-in stand or permanently mounted to a wall to take full advantage of its 140-degree horizontal field-of-view allowing it to monitor spaces up to 650 square feet in size. Installation does require access to a power source for the sensor’s USB-C cable, but the Presence Gen 4 can be easily integrated into several smart home systems including Google Home, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Matter.

Automations for turning on lights, heating, cooling, or even music can be triggered when a person is detected entering a space, and then turned off again when they leave to conserve power usafe. You can set up to ten independently customizable detection zones so that a lamp only turns on when someone actually sits at a desk, for example, or your home theater only powers up when someone plops down on the living room sofa. You also have the option to include small objects like pets when they’re detected, or adjust the Presence Gen4’s sensitivity so it ignores objects that are low to the ground ensuring automations aren’t triggered while your robovac tidies your floor.

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