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
Drbob1988
Guide
Would jump at a chance to add motion detector. Come on Netgear
Drbob1988
Guide
Thanks, I could have said it better myself.
tjtran
Fledgling

I'd like to recommend developing an external motion sensor to trigger cameras. Having a camera mounted on one side of my house that looks down the alley, the camera's motion sensor doesn't reach the other side of my house. If there was a motion sensor that was seperate from the camera, I could mount it on the other end so that it triggers the camera to record so that people and cars aren't already half way gone when the cameras start recording. I think this would also solve the problem of the camera lag since you'd be able to mount sensors at the gate, for example, so camera's can start recording right when someone enters your property. 

tjtran
Fledgling

I was thinking about the same thing. It would be great if they had external sensors seperate from the cameras.

1775USMC
Aspirant

Ive tried a few times, especially at night if you have poor night vision areas. I havent seen it here, if so, it works. Install your Arlo pro were you have hardwired  Light security Motion sensors. install close to sensor. When you see it Live or Motion is detected on Arlo. it trips the lights  and makes Everything like day.. I love it so far..

Stay safe.

AwesomeOso
Novice
Hello, I recently bought the Arlo Pro (4) camera system. I have tried setting up rules to optimize the performance of my system but I keep getting false alarms that set off my system to record worthless videos. I have a camera set up in my kitchen where I leave my dogs so I set a rule to only record when voice is detected rather than motion so I don't get alerts every time they move. I thought about removing the motion and audio sensing on that camera altogether but I don't think that's possible. That would also defeat the purpose of the camera in case of a break in.

My idea is that if Arlo would make a product that is strictly a motion detector without a camera, it would make the system much more efficient. Like that, I would be able to set the device outside my house sensing motion outside which will trigger the inside camera to record if the indoor audio is also detected. Thoughts?
Mitchou
Aspirant
Would be great to create small independent motion detection devices that that turn on the nearest camera when motion is detected.
papajon13
Follower

It would be nice if the base station could accept inputs from external sensors like glass break and door/window entry. Then, alarm and inform the owner (while the cameras do their normal recording etc.). That way you would get the "purpitrator" actually entering the property not just "it was already broken so, I just went inside"...

JamesC
Community Manager

papajon13,

 

You might find some of what you suggest possible by using IFTTT or one of the other Arlo partner integrations. Through IFTTT recipes you can set conditions for Arlo to trigger when an event happens on another device. Take a look at the Arlo IFTTT channel here for more information: Do More with Arlo - IFTTT

 

JamesC

X-JPL
Fledgling

Having stand alone infrared sensors to create a geo-fence to activate cameras that are too far to detect movement would be great!!!