New Amazon Echo Can Detect Room Occupancy

Do you own an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot speaker? It might know whether you’re in the room.

As The Tech Portal reported Monday (Nov. 15), newer versions of the Echo and Echo Dot, starting this week, will be able to detect people within a room due to new ultrasound tech. This technology — in fourth generation Echo/Echo Dot speakers — can tell if someone is in a room and switch connected devices on or off.

According to the news outlet, Amazon lets users enable or disable the feature using the Alexa app (just go to Motion Detection in the app settings). The feature can also be used to turn lights and music on and off depending on whether the room is occupied.

Read more: Amazon Leans on Alexa to Connect With ‘All Aspects of Consumers’ Lives’

Amazon has said the speakers will give off an “inaudible ultrasound wave” to determine if anyone is present. The wave will travel in all directions before bouncing back to the microphones on the device. If anyone is moving near the device, the time in which the emitted wave returns to the device changes, making the device aware the space is occupied.

As the report notes, this is somewhat similar to the motion-sensor on Echo Show devices, although that system uses cameras to detect motion and presence rather than the Echo/Echo Dot’s ultrasound feature.

See: Here’s Why Millennials Own More Connected Devices Than Anyone

This new feature is rolling out a time when millennial consumers are leading the pack in owning connected technology, as PYMNTS reported earlier this month.

In most cases, that means smartphones, owned by 87% of bridge millennials, followed by desktops and laptops, owned by 65%.

Connected/smart TV ownership has increased sharply as well, from about 51% to a recent 67% — reflecting a year in which young consumers are spending more time at home.

PYMNTS research has also shown that 31% of consumers have a voice-activated speaker — such as Amazon’s Alexa —  in their homes, along with other voice artificial intelligence (AI)-connected technology such as doorbells, TVs and appliances.