Analysis of Smart Elderly Care and Smart Home IoT Sensor Categories (Including Data Tables)
The core of smart elderly care and smart homes is “perception – interconnection – intelligence”, and IoT sensors are the core hardware of the “perception layer”, responsible for collecting data on the environment, human status, and device operation.
From environmental monitoring, security alarms, health monitoring, device control, and emerging perception, we outline the mainstream sensor types, covering technical parameters, typical applications, representative products, and price ranges to meet the demand for “high performance and high cost-effectiveness”.
1. Sensor Classification and Core Technologies
In the scenarios of smart elderly care and smart homes, sensors need to meet four major characteristics: low power consumption (long battery life), high precision (reliable perception), small size (discreet installation), and multi-protocol compatibility (adapting to different networks). The mainstream technologies include:
Communication Protocols NB-IoT (Low Power Wide Area Network), 4G/5G (Wide Area Network), Zigbee (Short Range Low Power), Wi-Fi (Short Range High Speed), Bluetooth BLE (Short Range Low Power);Perception Principles Optical (Infrared, Laser), Electrochemical (Gas), MEMS (Temperature and Humidity, Pressure), Radar (Millimeter Wave), Bioelectric (Heart Rate), etc.
2. Detailed Explanation of All Categories of Sensors and Data (Including Tables)
1. Environmental Monitoring Sensors (Elderly Care/Home Environment Health)
Used to monitor temperature and humidity, air quality (CO₂, VOC, PM2.5), light, etc., to ensure a comfortable and safe living environment.
| Sensor Type | Core Technology/Protocol | Key Parameters | Typical Application Scenarios | Representative Products/Brands | Price Range (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Temperature and Humidity Sensor | Zigbee 3.0/NB-IoT | Temperature accuracy ±0.5℃ (-40℃ to 85℃), humidity accuracy ±3%RH (0 to 100%RH), battery life 2-5 years (AA battery) | Temperature and humidity regulation in living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms | Xiaomi Temperature and Humidity Sensor, Honeywell | 50-150 RMB |
| CO₂ Sensor | NDIR Infrared Technology + NB-IoT | Detection range 0~5000ppm, accuracy ±50ppm ±5%FS, battery life 3-5 years (Lithium battery) | Bedroom, conference room CO₂ concentration alarm (to prevent hypoxia) | Siemens, Hanwei Technology | 200-400 RMB |
| VOC Sensor (Volatile Organic Compounds) | Metal Oxide (MOX) + Zigbee | Detection range 0~10ppm, accuracy ±0.1ppm, response time <60s, battery life 2 years (CR2450 battery) | Kitchen, newly renovated rooms (formaldehyde/benzene monitoring) | Honeywell, Bosch | 150-300 RMB |
| PM2.5 Laser Sensor | Laser Scattering + Wi-Fi | Detection range 0-999μg/m³, accuracy ±10% (0.3-10μm particles), battery life 1-2 years (MicroUSB powered) | Living room, bedroom air purifier linkage | 352 Environmental Technology, Blueair | 100-200 RMB |
| Light Sensor | Photodiode + Zigbee | Detection range 10~100000lux, accuracy ±5%, battery life 3-5 years (Button battery) | Smart curtain automatic adjustment, plant supplementary light control | Osram, Aqara | 80-180 RMB |
2. Security Alarm Sensors (Home/Elderly Care Protection)
Used to prevent risks such as fire, gas leaks, illegal intrusions, and water leaks, supporting local alarms + cloud push.
| Sensor Type | Core Technology/Protocol | Key Parameters | Typical Application Scenarios | Representative Products/Brands | Price Range (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NB-IoT Smoke Detector | Photoelectric + NB-IoT | Detection range 0.01~20% obs/m (smoke concentration), alarm threshold adjustable in three levels, battery life 5-8 years (built-in battery) | Elderly bedroom, kitchen, nursing home corridor (fire prevention) | Qingniao Fire Protection, Sanjiang Electronics | 150-300 RMB |
| 4G Gas Leak Sensor | Semi-conductor/Catalytic Combustion + 4G Cat.1 | Detection range 0~100% LEL (methane), accuracy ±5% LEL, response time <15s, battery life 3-5 years (built-in battery) | Kitchen, near gas pipelines (to prevent natural gas/liquefied gas leaks) | Newao Gas, Wanhe Electric | 200-400 RMB |
| Wireless Door Magnet Sensor | Reed Switch + Zigbee/BLE | Open/close detection distance ≤2cm, battery life 1-3 years (CR2032 battery), trigger delay <1s | Doors, windows, drawers, safes (to prevent illegal intrusion/theft) | Xiaomi Mijia, Kaadas | 30-80 RMB |
| Water Leak Sensor | Electrode + NB-IoT | Detection accuracy ±1mm (water level), response time <5s, battery life 5-8 years (built-in battery) | Bathroom, kitchen, balcony (to prevent burst pipes/leaks) | Haier Smart Home, Schneider | 80-150 RMB |
| Emergency Call Button | Push Switch + 4G/NB-IoT | Waterproof rating IP65, push life ≥100,000 times, supports one-click SOS (local alarm + APP push) | Elderly bedside, bathroom, living room (emergency assistance) | Lexin Medical, Orvibo | 100-200 RMB |
3. Health Monitoring Sensors (Core Scenarios for Elderly Care)
Used to monitor the vital signs and activity status of the elderly, preventing risks such as falls and sleep apnea.
| Sensor Type | Core Technology/Protocol | Key Parameters | Typical Application Scenarios | Representative Products/Brands | Price Range (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millimeter Wave Radar Fall Detection | 60GHz/77GHz Radar + Wi-Fi/BLE | Detection distance 0.5~5m, identifies fall/rest/sitting/lying states, false alarm rate <5%, battery life 2-3 years (PoE powered) | Bathroom, bedroom, corridor (automatic alarm for elderly falls) | Huawei Whole House Smart, Hikvision | 800-1500 RMB |
| Optical Heart Rate Sensor | PPG Optical Volume Pulse Wave + BLE 5.2 | Measurement range 30~200BPM, accuracy ±2BPM, battery life 5-7 days (magnetic charging) | Smart wristbands/watches (real-time heart rate/blood oxygen monitoring) | Xiaomi Mi Band, Huawei Watch GT series | 200-800 RMB |
| Non-contact Breathing Monitor | Ultrasonic Doppler + Zigbee | Detection distance 0.3~2m, breathing frequency accuracy ±1 time/minute, supports sleep stages (deep sleep/light sleep/REM) | Under mattress, beside pillow (elderly sleep breathing monitoring) | Philips, Sleepace | 1000-2000 RMB |
| Temperature Patch Sensor | NFC Near Field Communication + Flexible Electronics | Measurement range 32~42℃, accuracy ±0.3℃, battery life 7-14 days (disposable or rechargeable) | Underarm/forehead of the elderly (continuous temperature monitoring) | Ribang Doppler, Yuyue Medical | 50-150 RMB |
4. Device Control Sensors (Smart Interaction Execution End)
Used to receive commands to control appliances or feedback device status, achieving a “perception-decision-execution” closed loop.
| Sensor Type | Core Technology/Protocol | Key Parameters | Typical Application Scenarios | Representative Products/Brands | Price Range (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Switch Sensor | Relay Control + Zigbee/Wi-Fi | Load power ≤2500W (resistive load), response time <0.5s, supports local/remote switching | Smart control of lights in living rooms and bedrooms | Aqara, Orvibo | 80-200 RMB |
| Socket Status Sensor | Current Detection + NB-IoT | Detection range 0~16A, accuracy ±0.5A, battery life 3-5 years (built-in battery) | Power consumption monitoring for high-power devices like air conditioners and water heaters | Xiaomi Smart Socket, Bull | 50-120 RMB |
| Curtain Motor Sensor | Motor Speed Feedback + 4G Cat.1 | Control accuracy ±5mm (stroke), battery life 5-8 years (lithium battery), supports voice/APP interaction | Smart curtains in living rooms and bedrooms (automatic adjustment based on light/temperature) | Duoia, Aqara | 300-600 RMB |
5. Emerging Perception Sensors (Cutting-edge Technology)
Combining AI and new sensing technologies to enhance the intelligence level of elderly care/home scenarios.
| Sensor Type | Core Technology/Protocol | Key Parameters | Typical Application Scenarios | Representative Products/Brands | Price Range (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multimodal Fusion Sensor | Millimeter Wave Radar + Infrared + Accelerometer | Comprehensive detection of human presence (still/moving), posture (falling/sitting/lying), breathing and heartbeat, false alarm rate <2% | Rooms in nursing homes, homes of elderly living alone (24/7 monitoring) | Huawei Whole House Smart, Dahua Technology | 1500-3000 RMB |
| Environmental Odor Sensor | Electronic Nose (MOX Array) + NB-IoT | Identifies odors such as gas/food spoilage/smoke, detection accuracy ±10% (odor concentration), battery life 3-5 years (lithium battery) | Kitchen, near trash cans (odor exceedance alarm) | Hanwei Technology, Sifang Optoelectronics | 400-800 RMB |
| Fall Posture Recognition Camera | AI Vision Algorithm + Wi-Fi 6 | Supports RGB/Infrared dual vision, recognizes falls/slips/trips, privacy mode (local processing without uploading to the cloud) | Living room, bathroom (visual solution replacing millimeter wave radar) | Hikvision, DJI | 1000-2500 RMB |
3. Key Indicator Comparison Table for Sensor Selection
| Dimension | Environmental Monitoring | Security Alarm | Health Monitoring | Device Control | Emerging Perception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | Accuracy, long-term stability | Response speed, low false alarm rate | Accuracy of vital signs, comfort | Control accuracy, low latency | Multimodal fusion, privacy protection |
| Communication Protocol | Zigbee/NB-IoT (low power) | NB-IoT/4G (wide coverage) | BLE/Zigbee (short-range low power) | Wi-Fi/Zigbee (high-speed interaction) | Wi-Fi/4G (high bandwidth) |
| Battery Life Requirements | 2-5 years (battery powered) | 3-8 years (built-in battery) | 1-7 days (charging/replacing battery) | 1-5 years (lithium battery) | 2-5 years (low power design) |
| Typical Accuracy | ±0.5℃/±50ppm | ±5%LEL/±10%FS | ±2BPM/±1 time/minute | ±0.5A/±5mm | ±2% (odor concentration) |
| Installation Method | Wall-mounted/Ceiling | Wall-mounted/Sticking | Wearable/Placed | Socket/Wall | Ceiling/Desktop |
4. Trends in Smart Elderly Care and Smart Home Sensors
- Low Power Consumption NB-IoT, Zigbee, and other protocols dominate, alleviating battery life anxiety (e.g., smoke detectors with 5-8 years of battery life);
- Multimodal Fusion Millimeter wave radar + infrared + AI algorithms improve fall detection accuracy (false alarm rate <2%);
- Scenario Customization Elderly care scenarios focus on health monitoring (heart rate, breathing, falls), while home scenarios focus on environmental control (temperature, humidity, light);
- High Cost-Effectiveness Entry-level sensors (e.g., door magnets, temperature and humidity) have prices dropping to 30-80 RMB, while high-end devices (e.g., millimeter wave radar) are gradually becoming affordable (800-1500 RMB).
Data Sources:
Huawei Whole House Smart White Paper, Xiaomi Ecological Chain Product Parameters, Honeywell/Hikvision Technical Documents, Industry Research Institutions (IDC, Omdia) 2024 Reports.
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