Try mmWave presence now
Home Assistant projects this weekend pushed presence‑based automation using mmWave sensors to create multiple detection zones for far more accurate triggering. ( ) It’s a practical DIY step for local, privacy‑first automation — great for entryways, nurseries, or zoned HVAC control. (howtogeek.com)
Several community repositories published complete ESPHome configs and header code for popular mmWave modules this week, including thefipster’s esphome-mmwave-sensors repo (Seeed MR24/MR60 support), an LD2410-focused build by acmp, and a DFRobot/DFRobot-style step guide on GitHub for SEN0395-based builds. (github.com 1) (github.com 2) (github.com 3) ESPHome’s official component pages show native support for several mmWave lines — the LD2410 platform docs list UART and variant requirements, and the LD2420 page documents firmware modes including a “Normal/Calibrate/Simple” workflow tied to firmware v1.5.4 or later. (esphome.io) (esphome.io) ESPHome devices connect to Home Assistant via the ESPHome native API, allowing the mmWave nodes to appear as local, cloud‑free entities in Home Assistant without third‑party servers. (esphome.io) (home-assistant.io) Commercial and semi‑commercial modules are being used in the builds: Seeed’s mmWave kit (MR24/MR60) ships with a XIAO ESP32C3 and offers a pre‑flashed ESPHome path for quick setup, while community threads and tutorials are showing integrations for DFRobot’s C4002 and HLK/LD series modules. (wiki.seeedstudio.com) (community.dfrobot.com) Zone and multi‑target features are present in hardware and tooling: Apollo’s R‑PRO‑1 documentation says LD2450 can track up to three targets across three zones, and Everything Presence Lite supplies a visual zone configurator add‑on so each detection area can be exposed as its own Home Assistant entity. (wiki.apolloautomation.com) (github.com) Cost and form‑factor guidance from recent DIY guides show LD2410‑based presence nodes can be built for roughly $15–$20 including an ESP32, and multiple makers have published 3D‑print enclosure files and step‑by‑step wiring to use HLK/LD modules with ESPHome and Home Assistant. (bishalkshah.com.np) (makerworld.com)
