Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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External Sensors w/o Cameras (External Motion Detection/"Tripwire")

Because of Arlo's excellent video quality and excellent field of view I am able to see most of a large room/outdoor area with one camera. Unfortunately this tends to minimize the effectiveness of the motion detection as the camera tends to be more centrally located and so it does not detect something/someone until it is halfway or more across the room/area if it detects it at all.  This leaves users with the undesirable options of either compromising their camera placement to accomodate motion detection or using an entire camera exclusively as a motion detector with little to no useful function as a camera. This latter scenario is a situation for which the camera is over-qualified and overpriced.  A separate motion sensor that would trigger the camera to start recording when someone enters the room/access point would alleviate this issue. It could also help with the issue that myself and others  are having with lag in recording start time. The sensor could be placed further out from the camera when necessary so that it could trigger the camera to start recording earlier, accounting for the lag time and recording what users actually wanted recorded.

 

An additional sensor would not be something that would be required of all cameras and placements, but it would be useful for specific scenarios and even having two sensors at opposite inds of a room/area triggering one camera could be a useful setup. As it is though, it is relatively cost prohibitive to expand your system to do this as the cameras are the only sensor option and cost too much to be wasted on being merely a sensor. Additinally these "wasted" cameras eat into your allotment under the current subscription you have and could create additional cost to the user for an upgraded subscription. As it is, I am hesitant to expand my system (currently at 4 cameras), even though I would like to have greater coverage, because of the up front cost of the cameras not being used to their full potential combined with the monthly cost of the upgraded subscription. I would be far more willing to expand my system and upgrade my subscription if there were external sensors that would allow me to use my system effeciently and effectively like I want to without the inflated up front cost.  

 

I could see how this could be achieved either through hardware development of sensors exclusively for Arlo or through software development of integration with already established systems which perform comlementary functions. With either one, if the price is right I'm in, if it stays as it is my expansion is stuck.

Comments
hectorcaro
Novice

I am hoping for something like this. I am new to Arlo cameras (2 weeks) and immediately have notice the issue. My cameras detect motion but by the ttime they start recording there is nothing moving on the video anymore. Any updates?

carvermon
Tutor

I have an Arlo Pro system and would like to see motion sensors available (w/o camera) as a more affordable way to extend the protected areas. Ideally, they could be used to trigger other devices in the system. I hope NetGear will develop and offer something like this soon.

kp1251
Initiate

Agreed. sometimes people walk too fast or run and the camera starts recording too late and I'm barely able to see who passed by. This is problematic as we have a back house and we need to know who is coming inside our property at 2am in the morning

jazrock
Novice

bump to this idea would make the arlo system so much better. 

 

its simple to bring out...where are they netgear???

brh
Master
Master

Two items here. I have my Arlo cameras integrated with Smartthings and not only can I mount motion sensors to trigger the cameras to record, (the placement of the sensors can compensate for any delay), but I can do so much more such as turn on other cameras, turn on interior and exterior lights, turn on all my sirens, send custom alerts, etc.

 

Secondly, when the motion detector lights come out soon I believe they can be positioned to trigger the cameras to record even in the daylight and hopefully during daylight hours the lights don't turn on. In other words, I hope the motion sensor always triggers but the light only comes on below a certaon adjustable luminosity level.

 

Brian

Philkurk
Aspirant

would really like to complement my arlo camera setup with a smoke detector or two.

steve_t
Master

Do you mean motion detector or smoke detector?

Philkurk
Aspirant

I would like to see a smoke detector.  i.e.: Get an email when the alarm goes off.  seems it would be a natural complement to the cameras.

eborden1
Aspirant

I created an account specifically to support the idea of a stand alone motion sensor!

 

I will admit I am new to Arlo, having just set up the cameras outside about a week ago. One camera is mounted next to our front door (approximately 60 feet from the street). The issue we have is that the camera detects motion on the street (which I am fine with, it could potentially be helpful to see what cars passed by around the time of a crime), but in the lag before the camera starts recording, the car is already out of view. The camera's view is blocked by our garage on one side and the neighbor's garage on the other side (we can still see plenty of yard/sidewalk leading up to our porch), but the view of the street is limited to approximately 150 feet. So for a couple of days, we have just received 3 second clips of nothing, or sometimes the last 6 inches of a vehicle before it's out of view. Our situation is different in that we live in a townhouse and are trying to respect our neighbor's privacy by not recording their driveway.

 

I believe a great solution would be to install a sensor at the end of our sidewalk, which could activate the camera before a car came into the camera's view. I realize I could buy another camera to tell the camera covering the front door to begin recording, but I don't think the additional camera would have time to record anything either, or it would record half of a vehicle (still better than nothing). My bigger concern with the second camera is that it would then be possible for someone to sneak along our garage door and our neighbor's garage door to steal/destroy the second camera

 

As for everyone else requesting a stand alone motion sensor, I believe Arlo plans to release a motion sensor security light in 2018, that can then tell a camera to turn on. I have no idea if the light can be disabled to only detect motion and tell a camera to turn on, but we might be close to a solution. I also do not remember a price, but I feel like it was close to the price of a new camera.

brh
Master
Master

Arlo has partnered with Smartthings and in my opinion the integration is incredible. I can completely control Arlo with my Smartthings system, use all the different manufacturer's devices as triggers to start recording video, turn on/off lights, can set up many custom rules scenes and modes. I can even monitor the temperature detection built into every Smartthings sensor to record video if the temperature in a room gets over/under the values I set.

Now, for motion detection. I have many smartthings motion sensors both inside and outside, (out of the weather of course), and by using these motion sensors with thoughtful placement, I have pretty much eliminated the delay problem. 

Finally, Arlo is about to release the outdoor lights with motion sensors inside. I plan on purchasing several of them and power them with the new solar panels.

Conclusion - Yes Arlo definately needs to offer both indoor and outdoor motion sensors. The delay problem complaints would mostly dry up.

 

Brian