Growing up on a steady diet of sci-fi shows, where no one ever flicked a light switch, we always assumed lighting that turns on when you walk into a room was inevitable. SpaceSense from smart-lighting company Wiz—it uses Wi-Fi sensing technology to turn lights on when someone is in a room, and off when it’s empty. Wiz rolled out SpaceSense with its new app for Android and iOS last September, so that’s the first thing you need. If you have the original Wiz app, you can migrate your settings.
With the Wiz V2 app installed and your lights added to rooms, you can try SpaceSense, which sits in the Automation tab of the app. The configuration process takes a while and requires you to identify the light closest to the middle of the room (the beacon) and one or more lights at the corners (the processors). Before you start, note the names of the lights you plan to use as beacons and processors.
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If you’re unfamiliar with the name, Wiz sells a wide range of bulbs, fixtures, light strips, and a neat mobile lamp. The brand was acquired by Signify in 2019, just after Philips Lighting changed its name to Signify. Wiz products are similar to the popular Philips Hue lighting system but are more affordable and don’t require a hub. Sadly, the two are not compatible yet.
Now, onto the Wiz SpaceSense tech. It starts with Wi-Fi, which uses radio waves to transmit data. Routers and devices are constantly sending radio waves back and forth. These radio waves are absorbed or bounce off some obstacles, such as people, and with years of trying to improve signal strength, we have gotten very good at measuring exactly what’s happening with these radio waves. It’s possible to paint a crude picture of a room using radio waves the same way a bat might use sound waves for echolocation. When a person walks into a room, there’s a measurable change in Wi-Fi signal strength.
SOURCE: WIRED