mmWave fall detection sensor technology reaches a whole new level of precision with the DFRobot C1001 — a 60GHz radar module built for privacy-safe, camera-free human monitoring. Designed for elderly care, smart homes, and safety systems across India, this sensor detects presence, posture, breathing, and even a person lying completely still, something ordinary PIR sensors simply cannot do. Whether you’re building an ambient-assisted-living project, a contactless sleep tracker, or a next-gen smart room, the C1001 gives you radar-grade accuracy without a single frame of video ever being captured.
Technical Specifications
Every mmWave fall detection sensor unit listed on Techiesms is verified against the official datasheet, so you always get accurate, real-world specs before you build:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating Voltage | 5V |
| Operating Current | ≤100mA |
| Operating Frequency | 61~61.5GHz |
| Transmission Power | 6dBm |
| Maximum Detection Distance | 11m |
| Radar Detection Angle | 100° × 100° |
| Sleep Detection Distance (Chest) | 0.4–2.5m |
| Breath & Heart Rate Detection Distance | 0.4–1.5m |
| Breath Measurement Range | 10–25 breaths/min |
| Heart Rate Measurement Range | 60–100 beats/min |
| Operating Temperature | -20°C to 60°C |
| Compatible Boards | Arduino UNO, ESP32, micro:bit |
What Makes It Stand Out
Most sensors on the market can only tell you if something moved — the C1001 tells you how a person is positioned. Its onboard point-cloud imaging algorithm recognises human posture in real time, flagging when someone is lying down, immobile, or has stopped moving entirely. Full electrical characteristics and register-level details are documented in the official C1001 datasheet, which we cross-checked line by line before listing this product.
On the software side, DFRobot maintains an actively updated DFRobot_HumanDetection Arduino library that abstracts raw radar data into simple function calls — no signal processing knowledge required. That’s what makes this mmWave fall detection sensor approachable even for students attempting their first IoT healthcare project.
Why Makers Choose This
Indian makers building elder-care and safety automation projects choose this sensor because it solves a problem cameras can’t: monitoring bedrooms and bathrooms without ever recording an image. The C1001 works entirely on reflected radar signals, so dignity and privacy stay intact while your system still catches falls, tracks sleep quality, and reports vital signs like breathing and heart rate from a distance.
If you’re setting this up for the first time, this detailed ESP32 interfacing tutorial walks through wiring, library installation, and three working code examples — presence, sleep, and fall detection — so you can go from unboxing to a fully working setup in an evening, at the best price in India.
Important Links
🔗 C1001 Official Datasheet (PDF) — full specifications and electrical characteristics
🔗 DFRobot Product Wiki — pinout, installation diagrams, and protocol reference
🔗 DFRobot_HumanDetection GitHub Library — Arduino/ESP32 driver and example code
🔗 ESP32 Wiring & Code Tutorial — step-by-step setup with 3 working examples
Best Used For
This mmWave fall detection sensor is a natural fit for an elderly-care alert system that pings a caregiver’s phone the moment a fall is detected, or a privacy-first bathroom monitor that flags prolonged inactivity without ever capturing an image. Students exploring smart healthcare can build a contactless sleep-quality tracker that logs breathing rate, heart rate, and sleep scores overnight. It’s equally useful in smart building automation, triggering lighting or HVAC only when a room is genuinely occupied — including when someone is sitting perfectly still. Hobbyists experimenting with home security can pair it with an ESP32 and a buzzer or notification bot to build a fully automated presence-and-safety alert system for family members living alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the maximum detection range of this sensor?
The C1001 mmWave fall detection sensor can detect motion up to 11 meters when ceiling-mounted at a height of around 2.7 meters, and reliably detects falls within a 4-meter radius at that mounting height.
Q: Can I use this with Arduino UNO, ESP32, and micro:bit?
Yes. It communicates over standard UART/serial, so it works with any of these boards using the official Arduino library and 5V power supply.
Q: Does this sensor compromise privacy like a camera would?
No. It uses reflected radar signals rather than optical imaging, so no photo or video is ever captured — ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms.
Q: How is this different from a regular PIR motion sensor?
Unlike PIR sensors that only trigger on movement, this mmWave fall detection sensor also detects a person who is completely still, along with posture, breathing, and heart rate.
Q: Is this sensor a certified medical device?
No. It’s intended for hobbyist, educational, and home-automation use, not as a diagnostic or therapeutic medical instrument.
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