Zigbee Proximity Sensor

Devices & Integrations
1

Hello all. Having worked in industry years ago I was used to seeing photoelectric sensors employed across the steel mills I worked on tracking, for instance, the progress of steel coils on walking beam conveyors. I have been wondering whether there are any similar type proximity sensors available to use with ST.

I live in Spain where we have shutters on our windows. My bedroom window I would like to automate the closing of the shutter at night. The problem is that the window is on my balcony and it wouldn’t be the first time I have left something on the window sill that will block the closure of the shutter. I need something that will detect an object in the way and not allow the shutter to close. The old 2 piece transmitter / receiver proximity sensor is the sort of thing I am imagining but I last saw one of those nearly 30 years ago. Is there something modern available, with a similar function, that I can use with ST? TIA

2

You could use a break-beam sensor that provides an open-close indicator, something like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/177842931549?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item

You can then wire the output to a sensor that has dry contacts, something like the Aqara T1 door/window sensor. You need to decide if you want the behavior to be normally open or normally closed to determine how to write the condition in a Routine.

Now, include a condition in your Routine that says if the sensor is open/closed (based on your decision above) as a pre-condition. So let’s assume you’ve chosen normally open behavior so that when there is nothing breaking the beam, it will be open. So, you’d write your Routine like:

If Shutter-Sensor is open (pre-condition)
  Time is 10:00pm
Then
  Close the shutter

If there is something in the way, the beam will be broken, the sensor will be closed and the pre-condition will be false. You could also have another Routine to notify you about it:

If Shutter-Sensor is closed (pre-condition)
  Time is 10:00pm
Then
  Notify me that something is blocking the shutter closure

You could also get fancy and start a timer if the sensor is closed and have another Routine to attempt retries, but you’ll need a couple of Routines to make a continuing retry mechanism. I do something similar for gate and door open notification to send me a reminder every 15 mins until the door/gate is closed.

As far as other break beam sensors, you could look for standalone ones for garage doors that will also work provided they have NO/NC outputs and don’t use some proprietary encoding.

3

Thank you very much! That is pretty much the sort of solution I came here to find!