On 20 November, the 25th Industry Innovation Day, jointly organised by the Haier HOPE Open Innovation Platform and the China Sensor and Internet of Things Industry Alliance, was successfully held at the Haier Information Park. The event focused on the field of sensors and the Internet of Things, exploring application solutions and development trends for sensor technology in Haier’s home appliances, whilst facilitating targeted matching of supply and demand resources.
Shanghai SGR, a leading domestic manufacturer of millimetre-wave radar chips, took part in this Haier technology matchmaking event. Whilst the application of traditional millimetre-wave radar in automotive ADAS systems is already widely recognised, with the current development of smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, millimetre-wave radar has also demonstrated remarkable suitability in this field. Sensors in traditional smart home systems generally rely on infrared, ultrasonic waves or even cameras for detection; in practical applications, however, their detection sensitivity and coverage range are often less than ideal. Furthermore, such sensors must be unobstructed, which poses a significant challenge to the aesthetic design of household appliances. However, the ability of millimetre-wave radar to penetrate non-metallic casings means it can be concealed within the appliance itself, which is a real boon for product designers.
In bathroom applications, in particular, rapid fluctuations in water vapour and heat compromise the accuracy of traditional infrared PIR sensors. As millimetre-wave radar is unaffected by such environmental changes, an increasing number of manufacturers are adopting it to replace conventional infrared and other types of sensors in bathroom applications.
Engineers from SGR delivered a technical presentation to Haier on millimetre-wave radar and its applications in smart home appliances. During the interactive session following the event, heads of several product divisions at Haier took turns engaging in in-depth discussions with SGR engineers regarding the application of millimetre-wave radar in smart home appliances. Furthermore, SGR’ recently launched RKA1112 module—designed for smart lighting and smart home appliance applications—attracted significant attention from Haier at the event due to its cost being comparable to that of traditional sensors, as well as its compact size and low power consumption.
Leveraging Haier’s formidable strength in the home appliance sector, SGR, with its specialised expertise in millimetre-wave radar chip development and application capabilities, is further driving the development of China’s smart home appliance industry. It is believed that, as SGR and Haier deepen their collaboration, it will soon become perfectly commonplace for every household to use domestically produced millimetre-wave radar sensors.