Supported Sensors

Overview

Microsoft Places consumes occupancy data to power room availability, automatic room release, desk booking, and workspace analytics. The type and number of sensors you need depends on what spaces you want to monitor and which Places features you want to enable.

This page explains which Haltian sensors are supported, how they map to Microsoft Places resources, and how to choose the right sensor for each scenario.

Sensor Summary

Primary Occupancy Sensors

These sensors provide direct occupancy detection and are the recommended choices for Microsoft Places integration.

Thingsee PRESENCE — Desks and Small Rooms

The Thingsee PRESENCE is a ceiling-mounted PIR sensor with a cone-shaped detection area. It operates in two modes:

Recommended for:

• Individual desks — One PRESENCE sensor per desk, mapped directly to a bookable workspace in Microsoft Places. Reports desk as occupied or vacant.
• Phone booths and huddle rooms — One sensor covers the small space. Triggers automatic room release when no presence is detected.
• Small meeting rooms (2–4 people) — One sensor detects whether anyone is in the room.

Mapping: Single device → direct sensor reporting → Microsoft Places workspace or room mailbox.

Haltian ENTRYWAY — Meeting Rooms and Zones

The Haltian ENTRYWAY is a doorway-mounted people counter with patented 3-PIR technology. It detects directional movement — distinguishing entries from exits.

Recommended for:

• Medium–large meeting rooms — Mount at doorway entrance. Combined with the Occupancy Data Engine, produces real-time people count for the room.
• Open office zones — Place ENTRYWAY sensors at each entrance to a zone. The Occupancy Data Engine aggregates entry/exit data from all doorways to calculate zone occupancy.
• Floor-level analytics — ENTRYWAY sensors at elevator lobbies and stairwells feed floor-level utilization into Microsoft Places workspace analytics.

Mapping: Typically used in a device group → processed by Occupancy Data Engine → Microsoft Places room mailbox or floor section.

Haltian RADAR — Parking Spaces

The Haltian RADAR uses 60 GHz pulsed coherent radar to detect vehicle or object presence. Designed for outdoor and harsh environments (IP68, −35 °C to +85 °C).

Recommended for:

• Parking spaces — One RADAR per parking spot, reporting occupied or vacant
• Loading docks — Detect whether a bay is in use

Mapping: Single device → direct sensor reporting → Microsoft Places bookable workspace (parking slot).

Complementary Sensors

These sensors do not detect occupancy directly but enhance the Microsoft Places experience with environmental data or indirect occupancy signals.

Thingsee AIR — Room Air Quality

The Thingsee AIR monitors CO₂, TVOC, temperature, humidity, and pressure. While not a direct occupancy sensor, rising CO₂ levels correlate with the number of people in a closed space and can serve as a secondary occupancy signal.

Use with Microsoft Places:

• Display room air quality alongside availability in workplace dashboards
• CO₂ data complements sensor-based occupancy for space analytics
• Supports smart building ventilation and wellness initiatives

Thingsee ENVIRONMENT — Door Status and Ambient Conditions

The Thingsee ENVIRONMENT is a 6-in-1 environmental sensor with temperature, humidity, pressure, light, accelerometer, and magnetic switch.

Use with Microsoft Places:

• Magnetic switch — Mount on a meeting room door to detect open/close as an indirect occupancy signal
• Ambient light — Sudden light level changes can indicate room use (lights turned on/off)
• Temperature and humidity — Room comfort monitoring for workplace wellness dashboards

Sensor Selection Guide

Use this table to choose the right sensor for each Microsoft Places scenario:

Single Device vs. Device Group

Microsoft Places occupancy data can originate from two paths:

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flowchart LR
    subgraph Single["Single Device Path"]
        S1["fa:fa-eye 1 Desk Sensor"] --> D1["Direct Report"]
        D1 --> P1["fa:fa-chair 1 Desk\nin Places"]
    end

    subgraph Group["Device Group Path"]
        S2["fa:fa-door-open ENTRYWAY\n+ fa:fa-eye PRESENCE"] --> DG["Device Group"]
        DG --> ODE["fa:fa-cogs Occupancy\nData Engine"]
        ODE --> P2["fa:fa-building Meeting Room\nin Places"]
    end

For device group configuration and the Occupancy Data Engine, see Occupancy Data Engine.

Next Steps

• Integration Guide — Set up the end-to-end Microsoft Places connection
• FAQ — Common questions about sensors, latency, and deployment
• Occupancy Data Engine — How multi-sensor aggregation works