Butlr's Q&A

What is a Motion Sensor?

A motion sensor—commonly used in smart lights or basic security systems—detects movement using technologies like Passive Infrared (PIR) or ultrasonic waves.

Pros:

• Low-cost and widely available
• Good for detecting major movement (like walking or door opening)
• Easy to install

Cons:

• Can’t detect still occupants (like someone sitting quietly)
• May cause false triggers from pets, fans, or sunlight changes
• Not ideal for energy optimization where presence accuracy matters

In short, motion sensors react to movement but don’t truly know if someone is still in the room.

What is an Occupancy Sensor?

An occupancy sensor goes a step further—it doesn’t just sense motion; it determines actual presence.
Advanced occupancy sensors use radar, thermal imaging, or AI-based models to detect whether a human is present, even if they’re not moving.

Benefits:

• Detects both motion and presence
• Enables adaptive HVAC, lighting, and space utilization
• Prevents lights or climate systems from turning off when someone is still inside
• Reduces energy waste and enhances comfort

This makes occupancy sensors essential for smart homes, offices, and commercial buildings that need precise people-centric automation.

Butlr: The Next Generation of Occupancy Sensing

Traditional sensors only capture movement. Butlr redefines occupancy detection with radar and thermal sensing technology that detects presence, count, and movement patterns—all while ensuring complete privacy (no cameras, no personal data).

Why Butlr is Different:

• Uses thermal and radar data to identify human presence even when stationary
• Privacy-safe: captures heat signatures, not visuals
• Scales across multiple rooms or entire floors
• Integrates seamlessly with HVAC, lighting, and energy management systems
• Provides analytics and spatial insights for smarter facility design and energy use

Whether for a home setup or enterprise building, Butlr’s occupancy intelligence platform transforms basic motion detection into actionable space awareness.

Final Verdict

If your goal is simple motion-based automation, motion sensors are fine.
But if you want accurate, privacy-safe, and data-driven sensing, choose occupancy sensors—and specifically, Butlr’s radar-based platform. It gives you real human-centric automation for comfort, safety, and sustainability.

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