Sensor Pod Family — Comprehensive Spec v1.0
Canonical product spec. For SOP artifact set see _MANIFEST.md.
Product family: Sensor Pod (presence detection + environmental sensing + smart-home integration) Tiers / form factors: 7 SKUs, Room Node (Std/Pro/Ultra), Door Node (Std), Outdoor Node (Std/Pro), Micro Category: WV-SNS (sensor / presence node) Primary protocol: Matter 1.3+ over Thread (all tiers); LoRa uplink (Outdoor + Micro optional) Date: 2026-04-24 Revision: v1.0-candidate
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1. Family premise
What it is: The nervous system of a WanderVerse home, a family of privacy-first presence + environmental sensors that feed automations at the WanderNode Hub and deliver occupancy-aware VLAN policy to the WanderRouter, while working standalone for anyone who just wants a great Matter-over-Thread presence sensor on Apple Home / Google Home / Home Assistant.
Why it exists: Every competing presence sensor is either (a) tethered to a proprietary hub (Aqara gateway, Hue Bridge), (b) one firmware update away from becoming a camera (Ring, Nest), or (c) PIR-only and unable to tell a sleeping person from an empty room (Ikea, SwitchBot). None has a non-negotiable identity-free guarantee. None uses supported-employment assembly. None has open-STL enclosures. None has a mmWave outdoor perimeter option at a consumer price. Sensor Pod fills every one of those gaps, at mid-tier pricing, with Community Pool governance.
Who it serves (audience-explicit, per Standard 3):
- DV survivors who need occupancy without surveillance
- Trans folks in hostile states (no face-ID / voice-ID / biometric leak-path ever)
- Undocumented households (zero cloud presence trail)
- HAVEN safehouses / trans clinics / LGBTQ+ community centers (perimeter monitoring without cameras on marginalized people)
- Home Assistant power users (sensor fleet at Aqara quality, Ambassador-assembled, 7-year parts)
- Privacy-first Apple/Google households (Matter-over-Thread direct, no gateway)
- Accessibility-focused homes (autism / sensory / mobility: automation-driven environments that respond to presence without requiring interaction)
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2. Family architecture: 7 SKUs
2.1 Room Node (3 tiers: flagship workhorse)
Form factor: small wall/ceiling wedge, ~50×40×18 mm (Std/Pro) or ~60×50×22 mm (Ultra). 3D-printed PETG matte bone-white default; open STLs for variants. Wall-mount, ceiling-mount, or high-corner. USB-C facing down.
Room Node: Standard (retail price TBD)
- MCU: ESP32-S3 (Seeed XIAO or ESP32-S3-WROOM module)
- Presence: HLK-LD2450 24 GHz mmWave (multi-target X/Y tracking, up to 3 targets)
- Secondary presence: none (radar-only for Std)
- Environmental: SHT41 temperature + humidity · TSL2591 light (lux)
- Connectivity: Thread + WiFi 2.4/5 GHz (dual role for commissioning) · BLE 5.0 commissioning
- Power: PoE-in (802.3af via optional adapter) OR USB-C 5V OR CR2477 coin cell (~2 year life, radar-sleep mode)
- Chassis: open-STL PETG wedge
Room Node: Pro (retail price TBD)
All Std features plus:
- Environmental upgrade: BME688 (temp + humidity + pressure + VOC-index gas) · SCD41 CO2 (photometric NDIR)
- Presence upgrade: LD2450 + PIR secondary (AM312 or equivalent) for edge-case confirmation (radar false-positive filtering)
- Audio-free duress input: optional hardware tamper + fast-swipe Hall effect (for covert-duress button patterns), no microphone
- Chassis: same footprint as Std, slightly deeper
Room Node: Ultra (retail price TBD)
All Pro features plus:
- 60 GHz mmWave gesture detection (Infineon BGT60LTR11AIP or Acconeer A121) for touchless control (wave for lights/media without voice)
- Dual-band PIR (AM312 short range + wide-angle LHI968), multi-modality fusion
- Thermopile array (8×8) for person-vs-animal discrimination at ceiling-mount heights (NO identifiable imagery, 64-pixel heat map only)
- Chassis: larger wedge to fit additional radar + thermopile
2.2 Door Node: Standard (retail price TBD)
Form factor: slim tabletop/doorframe puck, ~65×45×15 mm. Installs above doorway or on doorframe top edge.
- MCU: ESP32-S3
- Presence: HLK-LD2450 + time-of-flight VL53L5CX (entry/exit direction sensing, 8×8 ToF grid, identity-free)
- Environmental: SHT41 temp + humidity · TSL2591 light
- Connectivity: Thread + WiFi + BLE
- Power: USB-C OR PoE (via optional adapter), always-on due to directional counting
- Function: person-counting (entry/exit with direction) · threshold-crossing events · integration with WanderLock for access-audit logs
- Chassis: matte bone-white puck, door-frame adhesive mount option
2.3 Outdoor Node (2 tiers: perimeter/property)
Form factor: IP65 puck, ~90×90×35 mm. Wall-bracket-mount; solar-ready; LoRa antenna external.
Outdoor Node: Standard (retail price TBD)
- MCU: ESP32-S3 (industrial-temp grade)
- Presence: HLK-LD2410C 24 GHz (outdoor-optimized) + PIR (LHI968 wide-angle)
- Environmental: SHT41 temp + humidity
- Connectivity: LoRa (RFM95W 915 MHz US / RFM96W 868 MHz EU) primary uplink to WanderNode Hub or to WanderSafeMesh, the nonprofit community mesh (wanderingwithpride.org) · WiFi 2.4 (commissioning only; disabled after setup for power)
- Power: solar-ready 6V/2W MPPT input + internal 2× 18650 Li-ion (removable, user-replaceable) OR wired 12V DC
- Enclosure: IP65 polycarbonate, solar-panel-ready top, LoRa antenna SMA external
Outdoor Node: Pro (retail price TBD)
All Std features plus:
- Thermal imaging assist (8×8 MLX90640 thermopile, identity-free) for person-vs-animal-vs-vehicle classification. Resolution low enough that no face or identifying feature is resolvable. No RGB/IR camera ever.
- Camera-assist OPTIONAL add-in module: if user explicitly buys the Pro-Camera module (separate SKU m-outdoor-cam, $45), a low-res event-trigger camera is added. This is opt-in and explicitly off the default Outdoor Pro. Default Outdoor Pro ships camera-free.
- Dual radar fusion (24 GHz LD2410C + 60 GHz for zone-shape discrimination)
- Solar panel 6V/5W included (vs 2W on Std)
2.4 Micro ($19 single / $79 5-pack / $149 10-pack)
Form factor: thumb-sized dongle, ~40×20×12 mm. Adhesive or CR2032-tethered corner-mount. White matte.
- MCU: ESP32-C6 (native Thread + BLE 5.0 + ultra-low-power)
- Presence: PIR only (AM312), mmWave omitted to hit the Micro price target + CR2032 1-year battery life
- Environmental: SHT41 temp + humidity · TSL2591 light
- Connectivity: Thread (sleepy end device) · BLE 5.0 commissioning only
- Power: CR2032 coin cell (user-replaceable tool-free); ~1 year life at 30-min report rate
- Chassis: open-STL ABS dongle; snap-on lid
Target use cases for Micro:
- 10-room apartments where Room Node would cost $390 but Micro 10-pack does it for $149
- Closets, pantries, utility rooms (PIR-sufficient)
- HAVEN multi-unit deployments (dozens of rooms across a shelter)
- Supplementary fleet (Room Nodes for main rooms; Micros for closets/hallways)
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3. Dual-mode principle enforcement
Per ../_STANDALONE-AND-PLATFORM-INTEGRATION.md.
Mode 1: Standalone (works with just this one product + a phone)
- Commissioning: Matter-over-Thread QR code. Scan in Apple Home / Google Home / Samsung SmartThings / Amazon Alexa / Home Assistant → paired in <60 sec
- Data: presence + environmental streams as first-class Matter clusters; no cloud account required
- Companion apps (iOS + Android + web): Sensor Pod app shows device status, calibrates zones (mmWave X/Y), firmware updates, battery state. Required for Ultra's 60 GHz gesture config; optional for all other SKUs.
- Setup time: <2 min first unit; <30 sec subsequent units via bulk-commissioning in Sensor Pod app
Mode 2: Industry-integrated
Apple Home: presence → HomeKit occupancy sensor; env → HomeKit temp/humidity/air quality/light sensors; Matter-over-Thread; Find My opt-in for theft recovery (Outdoor SKUs)
Google Home: occupancy → Google Home routines; env → Health Connect env sync if desired; Google Assistant presence-based routines
Samsung SmartThings: Matter-over-Thread; SmartThings rules engine
Home Assistant: native Matter integration; every sensor = HA entity; Home Assistant auto-discovery; ESPHome fallback firmware available for power users who want to flash their own
Amazon Alexa: Matter + Thread pairing; Routines; presence-based intents
Hubitat: Matter 1.3 compatibility (verify at EVT)
Ikea DIRIGERA / Aqara M3 / other gateways: Thread-capable gateways see Sensor Pod as standard Matter device
Developer SDK: MQTT topic publishing (optional, user-configurable) for DIY integrations; REST API on each node (local-only, token-auth) for advanced HA automations
Mode 3: WanderVerse-native (exponential integration)
- WanderNode Hub: all Sensor Pod SKUs auto-discover the Hub and register; presence data drives Hub automations (lights, HVAC, energy, parental-control presence, quiet hours)
- WanderRouter: occupancy-driven VLAN policy ("when nobody home for 30 min, tighten firewall; when kids home, enforce parental controls; when WanderBand present + no other band, relax firewall since owner is home")
- WanderBand: Band emits BLE beacon; Hub pairs it with Sensor Pod presence data internally, the SENSOR still doesn't know who is who, but the HUB does
- WanderLock: Door Node person-counting feeds WanderLock access-audit ("3 entries, 2 exits since last audit — someone still inside")
- WanderShield: covert duress detection via occupancy anomaly patterns (Michael defined a "duress occupancy pattern", e.g., presence in bedroom at 3am when Band is in living room = Hub fires silent alarm)
- Community mesh: Outdoor Nodes LoRa-mesh to WanderSafeMesh (nonprofit community mesh) → Hub → alerting
- WanderOS Profile: identity-aware defaults (e.g., trans-in-hostile-state households: presence events NEVER emit identifying metadata to 3rd-party integrations; HAVEN-deployed households: privacy-max defaults)
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4. Feature-matrix summary (see `_FAMILY-EXPANSION-REVIEW.md` 17 categories)
| Feature | Micro | Room Std | Room Pro | Room Ultra | Door Std | Out Std | Out Pro |
|---|
| Presence: PIR | ✅ | — | ✅ secondary | ✅ dual-band | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Presence: 24 GHz mmWave (LD2450) | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (LD2410C) | ✅ dual |
| Presence: 60 GHz mmWave (gesture) | — | — | — | ✅ | — | — | ✅ |
| ToF direction sensing (person-count) | — | — | — | — | ✅ | — | — |
| Thermopile array (identity-free) | — | — | — | ✅ 8×8 | — | — | ✅ 8×8 |
| Optional RGB camera module | — | — | — | — | — | — | opt (explicit add-on) |
| Temperature + humidity (SHT41) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Light / lux (TSL2591) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| Pressure + VOC (BME688) | — | — | ✅ | ✅ | — | — | — |
| CO2 (SCD41 NDIR) | — | — | ✅ | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Matter 1.3+ over Thread | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 (LoRa primary, Thread optional) | 🟡 |
| LoRa uplink | — | — | — | — | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| WiFi 2.4 (fallback) | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (commissioning-only) | ✅ (commissioning-only) |
| BLE 5.0 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| PoE-in option | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| USB-C option | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| Battery (CR2477/CR2032/18650) | ✅ CR2032 | ✅ CR2477 | ✅ CR2477 | 🟡 wired preferred | — (wired only) | ✅ 18650 | ✅ 18650 |
| Solar-ready | — | — | — | — | — | ✅ 2W | ✅ 5W |
| IP rating | IP20 | IP20 | IP20 | IP20 | IP20 | IP65 | IP65 |
| Battery life | ~1 yr | ~2 yr | ~2 yr | wired | wired | 60 days off-solar | 90 days off-solar |
| Modular/repairable | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open STL enclosure | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 7-year parts guarantee | 🟡 5-yr (multi-pack) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
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5. Identity-aware-by-omission: enforcement
This section is non-negotiable per Platform Standard 3.
Never-present capabilities in any Sensor Pod SKU:
- Facial recognition
- Voice recognition
- Gait analysis
- Biometric ID of any kind
- RGB/IR camera (except Outdoor Pro's explicit opt-in module, shipped off, explicit purchase required, separate SKU)
- Audio microphone
- Cellular trackable IMEI
- Bluetooth advertising that identifies the sensor's owner
Data that leaves the sensor:
- Presence state (Y/N per zone)
- X/Y coordinates of detected targets (no ID, no persistent tracking across sessions)
- Environmental readings (temp, humidity, light, VOC, CO2, pressure)
- Device self-diagnostics (battery, firmware version, signal strength)
Data that NEVER leaves the sensor:
- Any identifying metadata about humans
- Raw thermopile or radar waveform data (processed on-device; only derived metrics emitted)
- Outdoor Pro thermal array: processed on-device to person/animal/vehicle labels only; no raw 8×8 heat frames transmitted
Policy: if a future firmware release introduces any feature that could theoretically identify a person (say, "recognize the homeowner's gait pattern"), that feature must be opt-in, off-by-default, reversible, and accompanied by a Platform Standard 3 review. The sensor must NEVER become a covert surveillance device.
User-facing transparency: every Sensor Pod unit has a Privacy Posture page in its companion app showing:
- Every radio's on/off state + last transmission
- Every data field that leaves the device + where it goes
- "What this device does NOT do" (enumerated list: no camera, no mic, no face-ID, etc.)
- "Tamper test yourself": user can re-flash ESPHome to inspect firmware
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6. Pricing + margin (detail in `BOM-platform.csv`)
Target FOB costs + retail (1k-unit volume)
| SKU | FOB landed | Assembly (Ambassador) | Full FOB | Founding | Standard | Nonprofit |
|---|
| Micro (single) | $4.50 | $1.50 (pack kitting) | $6.00 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Micro 5-pack | $22.50 | $5 (pack) | $27.50 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Micro 10-pack | $45 | $8 (pack) | $53 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Room Node Std | $18 | $3 (12-min assembly) | $21 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Room Node Pro | $32 | $4 (15-min) | $36 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Room Node Ultra | $58 | $6 (22-min) | $64 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Door Node Std | $22 | $4 (15-min) | $26 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Outdoor Node Std | $48 | $5 (20-min) | $53 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Outdoor Node Pro | $78 | $7 (28-min) | $85 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Target margins (planning estimate): Micro single 68%, Micro 10-pack 64%, Room Std 46%, Room Pro 48%, Room Ultra 50%, Door Std 47%, Outdoor Std 40%, Outdoor Pro 43%.
60/30/10 enforcement: gross margin allocates per Community Pool spec. Planned split of each unit's gross margin: 60% Ambassador wage, 10% PrideFund, 30% Community Pool on the labor-attributable portion (Ambassador assembly $3).
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7. Configurability / modularity (see `CONFIGURATOR.md` full matrix)
Per-order axes:
- Chassis color/finish (bone-white default, open-STL community variants)
- Mounting (wall, ceiling, magnetic, adhesive, high-corner)
- Power (PoE / USB-C / battery: Room/Door tiers)
- Battery size (CR2477 default, 2×AAA optional)
- Mounting accessories (VESA bracket, magnetic plate, outdoor pole mount)
- Ambassador signature (standard card / Lux glyph)
- HAVEN pre-config bundle (opt-in for Mission Partners)
- Extended warranty (3-year upgrade)
- WanderStore profile pre-load (room-type presets)
Upgrade paths:
- Std → Pro: 🏭 send-back board swap ($30 parts + $25 service, 5 days)
- Pro → Ultra: 🏭 send-back chassis + board swap ($60 parts + $25 service, 7 days)
- Micro fleet pack-swap: 🔄 DIY (swap any unit individually)
- Outdoor Pro camera module add: 🔄 DIY snap-on ($45 module)
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8. Assembly + service
- All tiers (except Micro multi-pack): Ambassador-assembled per WanderVerse Standard 1
- Micro multi-pack: hybrid, component SMT at contract manufacturer; Ambassador kitting at WWP supported-employment line (per Standard 1)
- Ambassador Signature mark on every unit (std card minimum; Lux glyph option on Room Pro+)
- 7-year parts for single-unit SKUs (Room Std/Pro/Ultra, Door, Outdoor Std/Pro)
- 5-year parts for Micro multi-pack (batch economics, single Micro still counts with nearest-generation stock)
- Send-back repair: 5-7 business days typical turnaround; $25 service fee out-of-warranty
- DIY-friendly: battery swap tool-free; chassis open-STL; all fasteners T5 Torx (not Pentalobe)
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9. Timeline
| SKU | EVT | DVT | PVT / ship |
|---|
| Room Node Std + Pro | 2027-Q1 | 2027-Q2 | **2027-Q3** |
| Room Node Ultra | 2027-Q2 | 2027-Q3 | **2027-Q4** |
| Door Node Std | 2027-Q1 | 2027-Q2 | **2027-Q3** |
| Outdoor Std + Pro | 2027-Q3 | 2027-Q4 | **2028-Q1** |
| Micro | 2027-Q4 | 2028-Q1 | **2028-Q2** |
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10. Why this family wins
1. Identity-free as non-negotiable. Competitor roadmaps trend toward more cameras; we guarantee fewer. 2. Matter-over-Thread at every price point: Micro through Outdoor Pro. 3. Outdoor + LoRa + solar + mmWave is a category nobody else addresses at consumer price. 4. Mid-tier VOC + CO2 + presence bundled in one device vs competitors' $300 separate-product stack. 5. Ambassador-assembled + open-STL + 7-year parts, repair culture at sensor scale. 6. 60/30/10 Community Pool governance on every unit sold. 7. Deep WanderVerse integration (Hub automation, Router VLAN policy, Band+sensor identity pairing at Hub only, Lock access-audit, Shield duress detection, HAVEN perimeter). 8. 30-70% cost savings on typical multi-sensor deployments vs Aqara/Hue/Eve stacks.
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Canonical spec. All 10 SOP stages processed. Engineering handoff-ready.