Improved Sensors for LED Stair Lighting System

Did anyone get any errors when trying to install the Gist for ESPHome Code?

Excellent video as usual. Just getting into the automated LED scene and have a few ideas for around the house. Just a suggestion with fitting the sensor. Modify the lid with a couple of "L" shaped overhangs (brackets) to slide the sensor underneath to hold it in place, no screws needed. Keep up the good work.

Are you using WLED for controlling the leds per chance?

pressure pad on step 1 would solve this.

This is so cool.

I have a crazy idea, add vibration sensors to the steps (or a few of them) and light the led firstly when both the motion sensor and vibration sensor has been triggered. Probably requires some fine tuning, but it would be totally awesome.

I finally got this working !!!! Thank you very much for your videos and your recommendations. But (and there is always a but) my wife does not like the case sticking out at the top of the stairs. Can you tell me what software you are using to create the stl files to do the 3 printing. She wants to have the box in the drywall so that there is a minimum exposure of the sensor.
again thanks for your help and guidance.

Hi. Thanks for your efforts. I think if you just keep the sensors in the 1st or 2nd stair step will solve the false trigger

Hello

I loved the solution you have found. I am trying to use that with the same ToF Sensor with a ESP32 board. There is this issue of getting an unknown message in the HA ESPHome. The Log says it found a I2C device but there is no update on the log for the distance. What might be the problem? I have copied everything after the captive_portal. Could you please help me? I have tried 2 ESP32 boards and the results are the same.

Wish I could do this myself

why not installing motion detoctors on the ceiling and add fins to modify field of view

Hello. hello. with the change to the vl53 there are no false positives? Thanks

Anyone know if you can do esp32 + wled + tof sensor?

I wanted to use multiple beam break sensors to gain the same affect but it would require wiring on both sides of the stairs. I might give this a try

Hey, hello again. Not sure if you remember me or where I left the comment about your LED staircase project that you inspired me or I should say challenge me to do a project of my own. As I started purchasing the required components, life happens as you know so the project was delayed, but now I wanted to show you how I had progressed thus far. I still haven’t figured out the control part yet. I have some ideas tho and I know how I want it to function just not sure how to make it happen. Is there a place where to share video photos etc.

Hi! @resin I am curious as to what type of coding language would you suggest a beginner jump into to learn how to connect and automate things!? I’d like to be a sales engineer for an iot company named samsara. Love this video and going to look at all of them ! Thank you!

What I would personally do for this one is grab one of those lawn solar lights, rip off the solar panel on top.
Then put that solar panel on one side of your stairs, and put a weak laser light (one that you cannot visibly see) pointing at the solar panel. And wire the solar panel to output a digital trigger when the beam is broken.
It will be like a laser trip wire, and when that small amount of power stops being generated at the solar panel is triggers.

Just an idea i had for my own.

I am extremely glad with your modification on sensor distance.

How many cups of coffee must I buy to be able to get the control system from you? 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

All I did to narrow the field of view was tape over the area on the left side of the PIR lens so it cant see anything until a foot goes onto the first step, easy and cheap.

When I try to flash the YAML trough the ESP home flasher tool [windows], I get the following issue "Unexpected error: The firmware binary is invalid (magic byte=23, should be E9)

How do I resolve this.

if yes please send me price also

Can you send me the whole system

Thank you so much for your video.

I am stuck at where my D1-mini can't seem to connect it to my pc with direct cable. My pc can detect it, but ESPHome insists that nothing is being connected. You have any idea why? Thank you.

Looks good, but if it was me I would put one pressure sensor on the first step, then as soon as anyone puts their foot on that steep you would get a logic high or low to tell the processor to start, so no false triggers, no detection area, just the first step, and very cheap you can get a pressure pad in a local store that sells alarm stuff, just slide it under the carpet and wire in.
All the best Bob in the UK

I love this project and had so much fun learning about it. I have everything working great, but I have an issue I can't figure out. I have the TOF sensor at waist height so the dogs won't trip it. When I pass the TOF it detects my body, but sometimes when the body passes then it goes back to clear, but then an arm comes through behind it and trips it again. So the lights come on and then go right back off. Doesn't happen often but often enough. The Second issue is almost the same, when I pass through the TOF the lights turn on, but if someone is right behind me they will trip it turning the lights back off. Is there a way to have TOF 1 open once and not run again until TOF 2 has been crossed or the timer expired? Hope I explained that well enough. Thanks for all the time you put into helping us with this project!

now if you forget something halfway up the stairs, the lights should follow you downwards and light up downwards

Very interesting! I've been trying to find a way to have HA no if my car is going out or coming in.

It seems like I could put two of these next to each other a couple inches apart just inside the garage door. If the one closest to the door goes from false to true first then the car is entering the garage. Because the tire had to have passed the first one and then as I drove further into the garage, the second one would activate.

Intriguing indeed!

Thanks!

How are the sensors synchronized with the led installation if they are not wired in the same circuit? Just with the wifi automation and the led controller?
I'm very bad at welding since my hands are shaking quite a lot; might probably use a bigger controller like NodeMCU ESP8266 Development Board; would it work?

Seeing the Zebra brought me back to the 90's

Time of flight? isn't this RADAR/ microwave?

Thank you for the update!!! I will be using this for under bed lighting.... one for each side of the bed.... I have a ranch so I don't have stairs BUT this is an excellent update for my bed!!! Thank you so much!! Great job!

Love to able to do this but no idea how to. Lol

Cool

I appreciate the level of detail, thank you. Your doing some pretty cool stuff.

thanks for the guide, I've been on a mission to replace all the Sonoff PIR sensors in my home as they are crap with mm wave sensors but was stuck when it came to bathrooms due to no power points. I have now installed ESPhome, created the sensor and it's working great on the doorway. I created the automation in node red so implemented a 100ms trigger delay + used the delay node to prevent repeat triggers for 2 seconds to stop the light going on then straight back off again as your legs pass the sensor.

Is this setup possible to run of batteries and if so what is the power draw

I'd love to take on this project!!! Thank you

Interesting project!

Tiny comment on the ESPHome code: I believe a button is preferred over a switch nowadays for the reset.

Couldn't you just add slightly more opaque covers on the sensors to do the same thing?

I have a split level house how would I make that work to go up the stairs and down the stairs from entering on main level.

Hey I think that the way that you have done this whole project is awesome, but I was wondering if it is possible to do this with only white leds which have just a 12v and gnd pin?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't you also remove the lens from the pir sensor essentially making it a beam?

Can you make the sensor and I buy it from you

Awesome tutorial... I've been messing with wled and xlights for Christmas decorations but this is a great idea especially now that my stairs are getting remodeled which gives me more options, my question is.... Can I connect two Tof sensors to one esp32? One to the bottom of the stairs and one at the top. I've seen your videos and read your tutorial. I have all the parts just wanted to make sure I was good to go before I dive in. Thanks

How are you powering this? Thanks!

Could consider a slot on the inside of the box with slightly bendable arms that have round pegs to fit into the holes of the new sensor so you won’t need screws

i would like to install the TOF sensor /distance sensor but were does one get things like this seem you did yours from scratch

You could also use multiple sensors or maybe a camera to track people on the stairs. This way the light would stop or adjust to a change is speed. Would look and feel so futuristic I guess!