Recent advances made in the automotive world have found an unlikely application: a new high-performance portable lantern. And it’s such a cool bit of kit that it could change the way we light the outside of our homes too.
The CampLight Pro is a rugged smart lantern that uses advanced systems to detect motion and turn itself on. It’s a neat piece of gear for outdoor adventures and activities, but what we’re really excited about is the potential replacement of PIR technology with mmWave presence detection.
Offscape
Let’s explain the science: traditional Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors detect motion by measuring heat changes in infrared radiation levels within their field of view. When a warm body moves into the sensor’s range, it disrupts the ambient infrared background, causing the sensor’s pyroelectric elements to trigger a voltage change.
The CampLight Pro’s mmWave system is more sophisticated. It emits high-frequency radio waves and measures reflections. If you’re into physics, this is all about the Doppler effect; if you’re not, never mind – it works and is very sensitive and accurate. That’s why it has become a vital part of engineering developments in autonomous vehicles.
PIR cannot detect a person standing still; mmWave is a true presence sensor, capable of detecting micro-movements as small as breathing, even if a person is sitting completely still. The tech’s higher sensitivity allows it to work in total darkness or in smoky and dusty conditions. It can also often pass through materials like drywall, glass, or curtains, enabling hidden, behind-the-wall installation.
Traditional camping lights that rely on PIR suffer from the same faults that annoy homeowners whose security lights blaze into action at two in the morning when a cat saunters past their garage. That means a lantern can be too easily triggered by wind, moving vegetation or changes in temperature.
Offscape
The CampLight Pro offers vastly improved reliability in outdoor conditions, which means better safety, security, and usefulness – whether at a campsite in the woods or outside your van at the beach.
The unit is based on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (final capacity still to be confirmed) with USB-C fast charging. An integrated solar panel provides supplementary charging off-grid.
The lantern itself has a Germanic build quality, with an aluminum housing and weather-resistant construction. The versatile magnetic mount has 360° adjustment, and adapters enable installation on non-metallic tent awning poles or wooden posts. A dedicated app allows users to adjust light temperature, brightness levels and motion sensor settings from their smartphone.
This lantern comes from Offscape, a group of European outdoor enthusiasts based in Munich, Germany. Its mission is to combine German engineering precision with real-world overlanding experience to create gear that increases independence in the wild.
Note that mmWave tech isn’t infallible, however. Due to their high sensitivity, sensors can interpret leaves blowing in the wind as human movement. Large, hard surfaces can bounce signals in unexpected ways and the system is powerful enough to be triggered by movement inside a building.
Offscape
The CampLight Pro is currently raising production funds on Kickstarter, where pledge levels currently start at €149 (about US$175) – representing a saving of 25% on the expected retail price. Crowdfunding campaigns always carry an element of risk, and this is Offscape’s first Kickstarter and looks to be its first product too, so you might want to keep this in mind if choosing to support the project.
However, the campaign page is filled with lots of detail on the project and development/production plans, and the creator appears very responsive to backer queries. If all goes to plan with the already funded campaign, shipping is estimated to begin from August.
CampLight Pro – Smart, Magnetic, Safe.
Source: Kickstarter
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