March 28, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Amazon Opens Sidewalk to Third-Party Sensor Makers Amazon has announced that third-party manufacturers can now integrate their PIR motion sensors with the Sidewalk network, a low-bandwidth, long-range wireless network that uses a portion…

March 10, 2026 – Sacramento, CA – California Tightens Building Energy Standards The California Energy Commission (CEC) has adopted updated Title 24 building energy standards that significantly expand requirements for occupancy sensors in commercial buildings. The new standards, effective January…

March 15, 2026 – Cambridge, MA – Graphene Enables Ultra-Sensitive Infrared Detection A research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has demonstrated a graphene-based pyroelectric sensor with sensitivity approximately 100 times higher than conventional lithium tantalate or PZT-based…

March 18, 2026 – Älmhult, Sweden – IKEA Expands Smart Home Portfolio IKEA has announced the VALLHORN OUTDOOR, a weatherproof PIR motion sensor designed for exterior lighting control. The new sensor expands the company’s smart home ecosystem, which already includes…

March 22, 2026 – Washington, DC – DOE Targets Building Sensor Innovation The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $50 million in funding for smart sensor research through its Building Technologies Office (BTO). The funding, part of the Advanced…

March 25, 2026 – Cupertino, CA – Apple Explores PIR for AR/VR Input A patent application published by the US Patent and Trademark Office reveals Apple is exploring the use of PIR sensor arrays for gesture recognition in its Vision…

March 25, 2026 – Meross Brings Dual-Technology Presence Sensing to Matter Ecosystem Chengdu Meross Technology Co., Ltd. has introduced a Smart Presence Sensor that integrates low-power millimeter-wave Doppler radar technology with infrared motion sensors, creating a dual-detection sensor capable of…

March 25, 2026 – PIR Sensor Prices Hit New Low According to component market intelligence firm IoT Analytics, the average selling price (ASP) of basic PIR sensor modules (HC-SR501 and equivalents) has fallen below $0.50 for the first time, reaching…

March 25, 2026 – IKEA VALLHORN Now Supported by Zigbee2MQTT The IKEA VALLHORN wireless motion sensor (model E2134) has been added to the Zigbee2MQTT compatibility list, enabling seamless integration with Home Assistant and other open-source smart home platforms. [citation:5] The…

March 24, 2026 – IKEA VALLHORN Now Compatible with Zigbee2MQTT The IKEA VALLHORN wireless motion sensor (model E2134) has been added to the Zigbee2MQTT compatibility list, allowing users to integrate the sensor with Home Assistant and other open-source smart home…