German radar technology company Innosent has introduced a motion detector for contactless control applications in building technology, automation and safety equipment. It is the firm’s first to provide distance information.

Through the indication of distances, it is possible to limit the area in which a reaction will be triggered.

The IMD-2000’s design lets it be installed in flat or narrow casings. The built-in signal-processing unit also saves development work to integrate the radar.

Radar-based motion detection is proving its usefulness in various industries. It can open doors, control lights or be part of a security system. Escalators or ticket machines can also use the sensors, and the technology can control lighting.

The sensor detects the movement of persons or objects by radar. This way it is possible to control devices without contact and in an automated manner. In building technology, this can translate into a considerable boost in efficiency, since, for example, doors can be opened, lights switched on or the toilet lid be opened only when necessary.

As a security application, the system triggers an alarm when there are people in the detection area. And there can be little radars in ticket machines to disable standby operation when approaching persons are detected.

Motion sensors have been part of the firm’s product portfolio since the company was founded in 1999. But the company felt it was time to optimise this simple and popular radar application. The newly developed product harnesses the knowledge gained from practical use, the technological state of the art, and the radar experts’ years of development experience.

“We are driven by the desire to make our own technology even better,” said Cyrus Nabavinegad, product owner at Innosent. “This applies not only to product innovations, but also to already established radar applications. Because we now have completely new possibilities. This starts with the materials, concerns the technical performance and ends with signal processing. The IMD-2000 is the best example of this. Thanks to additional distance information, the motion detector offers greater functionality at the lowest-possible price. The system’s integrated signal processing also makes it attractive to a new customer group. It is a strong competitor to existing CW radar or infra-red sensors.”

The 24GHz system is equipped with common interfaces for better compatibility. The signal-processing unit also simplifies the use and integration of the radar component. The sensor detects even slow movements and determines objects’ and persons’ direction of movement and distance to the radar antenna. This information is outputted via a target list via uart. For easier configuration, an evaluation kit is provided with a software GUI.

The distance information makes it possible to limit the detection area, which leads to an improved false alarm rate in security applications, for example. As a door opener, the sensor can ignore cross-traffic or, for escalator control, disregard people at large distances.

This is the second motion detector product by the Donnersdorf-based firm. It is characterised by its ease of use. Users can benefit from plug-and-play radar. Little configuration work is required.

This is due to the integrated signal processing, which analyses the raw radar data for simple sensor applications. The system can be installed and connected in a few steps. The outputted signals can be used directly for trigger functions thanks to object or target lists as well as suitable interfaces.