In today's era of rapid technological development, innovative applications are constantly emerging in the field of smart home, bringing unprecedented convenience and comfort to people's lives. Among them, the application of radar modules in the field of sanitary ware is gradually coming to the fore, quietly changing the user experience of traditional sanitary ware and opening a new chapter in intelligence.
Analysis of the Working Principle of the Radar Module
Radar, which stands for "Radio Detection And Ranging", its core principle is to emit radio waves and obtain relevant information about the target object by processing the reflected waves, and then generate a three-dimensional image of the target. In the radar modules used in sanitary ware, the common working modes are based on human body distance sensing and gesture recognition. Take the HLK-LD2411 radar module commonly used in smart toilets as an example. It can recognize the user's gesture actions of raising and releasing, and can also detect the user's approaching and leaving actions, and convert these actions into GPIO signal outputs.
This module is powered by 5V. The radar beam is uniquely designed with a combination of wide and narrow patterns. The horizontal angle (4 patch) is approximately ±20°, and the vertical angle is ±40°. By cleverly adjusting the placement direction of the antenna, it can adapt to different application scenarios. In the application scenario of the toilet, the design of the horizontal narrow beam can effectively avoid false triggering by people passing by, ensuring the accuracy and stability of use.
Diverse Applications in the Field of Sanitary Ware
Innovation of Smart Toilets
Automatic Opening and Closing Function: When the user approaches within a range of 2 meters of the smart toilet, the HLK-LD2411 radar module quickly detects the user's action and then outputs a GPIO signal to the single-chip microcomputer, thus precisely controlling the automatic opening of the toilet lid. This function allows users to avoid manual contact with the toilet lid, greatly improving the convenience of use. Especially when the user's hands are full of items or the lighting in the bathroom is dim, the advantage is even more significant. After the user finishes using and leaves, the module detects the user's departure and will automatically control the closing of the toilet lid, which is both hygienic and considerate.
Gesture Sensing Flushing: Within a distance of 1 meter, the LD2411 radar module is extremely sensitive to gesture recognition. After the user finishes using the toilet, with just a simple wave of the hand, the module can quickly recognize it and output the corresponding signal to the single-chip microcomputer to achieve automatic flushing. This contactless flushing method effectively avoids the possible cross-infection caused by hand contact with the toilet flushing button, providing users with a more hygienic using experience.
Intelligent Expansion of Other Sanitary Ware
Smart Bathroom Cabinets: The radar module can be installed under the bathroom cabinet. When the user's hand approaches, it automatically senses and opens the cabinet door, making it convenient to pick up items. At the same time, it can also determine whether to provide the lighting function according to the user's hand staying time within the sensing range. For example, at night, it automatically turns on the night light inside the cabinet to illuminate the storage space and avoid the inconvenience of searching for items.
Automatic Faucets: In public restrooms or home bathrooms, the application of radar modules in faucets can achieve automatic sensing water discharge. When the user extends the hand to the sensing area below the faucet, the faucet automatically discharges water, and it stops automatically after the hand leaves. This not only saves water but also reduces the risk of bacterial transmission. Moreover, through precise setting of the sensing distance and angle of the radar module, false triggering caused by surrounding environmental interference can be avoided, ensuring the stable operation of the faucet.
Significant Advantages Brought by the Radar Module
Convenient and Quick User Experience
The radar module realizes the automatic control of sanitary ware, completely getting rid of the cumbersome traditional manual operation. Whether it is the automatic opening and closing of the toilet lid, automatic flushing, or the automatic opening of the bathroom cabinet door, users can enjoy ease and convenience during the use process, greatly improving the overall user experience of the bathroom space.
Efficient Water Saving and Environmental Protection
Taking automatic faucets and smart toilets as examples, the precise sensing control of the radar module can avoid unnecessary waste of water resources. The automatic faucet only discharges water when it detects the user's hand approaching, and the smart toilet can also flush automatically according to the usage situation. Compared with traditional manual operation, it greatly reduces the consumption of water resources, which is in line with the energy-saving and environmental protection concept advocated by modern society.
Hygiene and Health Assurance
The contactless operation mode is a major highlight of the application of radar modules in sanitary ware. By avoiding direct contact between the hands and the surface of the sanitary ware, it effectively reduces the risk of cross-infection, providing a strong guarantee for the user's health. Especially in crowded places such as public restrooms, this hygienic advantage is more prominent.
Prospect
With the continuous expansion of the smart home market and the continuous improvement of consumers' pursuit of intelligent living quality, the application prospect of radar modules in the field of sanitary ware is extremely broad. On the one hand, continuous technological innovation will drive the development of radar modules towards smaller size, lower power consumption, and higher precision, enabling them to be more easily integrated into various sanitary ware products and still maintain stable and reliable performance in complex bathroom environments. On the other hand, with the popularization of the Internet of Things technology, the interconnection and interoperability between radar modules and other smart devices will be further strengthened, realizing the intelligent coordinated control of the entire bathroom space and even the home environment. For example, in the future, smart toilets can be linked with the bathroom's temperature and humidity sensors, lighting systems, etc., and automatically adjust parameters such as the temperature of the toilet seat and the brightness of the lights according to the user's usage habits and environmental changes, creating a more personalized and comfortable bathroom experience for users.
As a key technology, the radar module is profoundly transforming the field of sanitary ware, bringing users a more convenient, efficient, hygienic, and environmentally friendly lifestyle. In the future, it will continue to play an important role in the field of smart home and drive the sanitary ware industry to continuously reach new heights.
