We've all walked towards a supermarket, hospital or shopping centre entrance and watched the automatic doors slide open, seemingly by magic.
But how do they actually know somebody is approaching?
Most automatic sliding doors rely on a combination of two technologies:
Microwave radar detects movement as someone approaches the entrance.
Infrared sensors help detect whether somebody is still standing or moving through the doorway.
Here's something interesting: a movement-only radar sensor may stop detecting someone who stands completely still. That's one reason additional presence sensors are so important.
And have you ever walked past a shop without intending to enter, only for the doors to open anyway? That's often down to the radar detecting movement within its coverage area.
A few questions for discussion:
- Have you ever seen automatic doors open when nobody appeared to be approaching?
- Have you experienced doors that seemed slow to detect you?
- Do you think automatic entrances are becoming more reliable, or have you noticed problems with particular types?
Read the full article:
How Do Automatic Doors Detect People?
What experiences have you had with automatic doors? Share your thoughts below!