22nd September 2026By Neil Skoglund
Motion Detection
Knowing whether a space is occupied - a room, a corridor, a perimeter - underpins a surprising amount of building automation and security work, well beyond a simple burglar alarm. Battery-powered, LoRaWAN-connected motion sensors report occupancy events wirelessly, without the cabling a traditional PIR-to-control-panel setup needs.
This guide covers how LoRaWAN motion detection works and what it's used for. Motion sensors are frequently paired with door & window sensors for a fuller view of activity in a building.
Most commercial LoRaWAN motion sensors use passive infrared (PIR) technology - detecting the change in infrared radiation caused by a warm body moving through the sensor's field of view. Some applications call for microwave or ultrasonic detection instead, which behave differently in harsh or outdoor environments. Whichever technology is used, the sensor reports the event over LoRaWAN to the Trackpac dashboard, where it can trigger an alert or feed into a wider automation rule.
Get notified the moment movement is detected somewhere it shouldn't be - outside business hours, in a restricted area, or on a perimeter.
Track how meeting rooms, desks or shared spaces are actually used, rather than relying on a booking system.
Base lighting and climate control on real occupancy patterns instead of a fixed timer, cutting energy waste in unused spaces.
LoRaWAN motion sensors run on battery for months to years, without the cabling a hardwired PIR-to-panel system needs.
Trackpac's platform is designed to work with LoRaWAN devices broadly, not a closed hardware catalogue. If you already have motion sensors from a supported manufacturer, connecting them to Trackpac is a matter of adding the device keys - the same onboarding process used across every sensor type on the platform. If you're starting from scratch and want a recommendation for your specific site (indoor office, outdoor perimeter, cold storage, retail floor), get in touch and we'll point you to hardware that fits.
Motion alerts can be tuned by time window (only alert outside business hours), frequency (alert on the first event, not every subsequent one), or combined with other sensors on the same dashboard for context-aware rules.
Trackpac's platform is built to connect any LoRaWAN-compatible motion or PIR sensor - if you already have hardware from a supported manufacturer, you can add it to your Trackpac dashboard directly using its device keys. If you're starting from scratch and need a specific motion sensor recommendation, get in touch and our team can point you to hardware that fits your site.
PIR (passive infrared) sensors detect the heat signature of moving objects and are the most common, cost-effective choice for security and occupancy use cases. Microwave sensors emit and measure reflected radio pulses, offering higher sensitivity but more susceptibility to environmental interference. Ultrasonic sensors use sound wave reflection and suit indoor applications less affected by temperature swings. Most commercial LoRaWAN motion sensors use PIR for its reliability and low power draw.
Yes. Trackpac's rules engine lets you connect motion events to automated actions beyond a notification - for example, combining motion data with other connected sensors and systems to inform lighting or HVAC scheduling based on real occupancy rather than a fixed timer.
Some are. Outdoor motion detectors need weatherproofing and enclosures rated for exposure, and are typically less sensitive to lighting conditions than indoor-only models. If you need an outdoor-rated device, tell us about your site and we'll help identify suitable hardware.
Motion sensors are commonly deployed alongside door and window sensors for a fuller picture of activity in a space, or alongside temperature and air quality sensors in occupancy-based building automation. All of it reports into the same Trackpac dashboard regardless of sensor type.
Have a site in mind? Get in touch and we'll help you find the right motion sensor for it, or see our motion detection page for more.
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