Hue Motion Timer
Track occupancy duration with Philips Hue motion sensors. Real-time timer display on M5Stack and web browser — no Home Assistant required.
Web dashboard (shown in Japanese; switch to English in settings)
Use Cases
🏢 Facility Management
Measure actual usage time of meeting rooms and break rooms to analyze utilization rates. Optimize cleaning schedules based on usage frequency data.
💪 Health Management
Record toilet frequency and duration by day to visualize changes in daily routines. Measure continuous desk work time to prevent prolonged sitting.
🏥 Caregiving
Detect nighttime wandering with hallway and entrance sensors. Identify changes in daily behavior patterns early through statistical data.
🛡 Safety & Monitoring
Detect abnormally long stays in bathrooms or toilets and trigger alerts. Confirm the safety of elderly people living alone or children at home.
🐾 Pets
Record activity patterns by room during time alone. Detect unusual behavior when a pet stays in an unexpected area for an extended period.
Why This Project?
⏱ Real-time Timer
Tracks elapsed time since first motion detection, not just ON/OFF status.
🔌 No Hub Required
Connects directly to Hue Bridge API. No Home Assistant or other platform needed.
📱 Dual Interface
M5Stack device with LCD + speaker, and a web dashboard. Each works independently.
🔔 Smart Alerts
Configurable multi-level alerts with normal and urgent alarms that escalate over time.
📊 Analytics
Daily statistics (avg, max, min, total) with Chart.js graphs and long-term log retention.
⚡ Zero Config
Auto-discovers Bridge, generates API key with button press, sensor selection on screen.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | M5Stack | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time timer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-sensor support | — | ✓ (up to 20) |
| Sensor overview bar | — | ✓ |
| Hourly chart (per day) | — | ✓ |
| Per-sensor alert config | — | ✓ |
| Alert melody | ✓ (speaker) | ✓ (Web Audio) |
| Urgent alert | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote alert (Web → M5) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Log history | 20 entries | 1000 entries |
| Daily statistics | 10 days | 2 years |
| Daily chart | — | ✓ |
| Clock & battery | ✓ | ✓ (clock) |
| Timer recovery | ✓ | ✓ |
| IP whitelist | — | ✓ |
| i18n (EN/JA) | ✓ | ✓ |
Requirements
M5Stack Version
M5Stack Basic (ESP32), Philips Hue Bridge (V1/V2), Hue Motion Sensor, Arduino CLI or IDE
Web Version
Node.js 18+, Apache 2.4+ with mod_proxy, network access to Hue Bridge
FAQ
Do I need Home Assistant?
No. Hue Motion Timer connects directly to the Philips Hue Bridge API. No Home Assistant, SmartThings, or any other platform is required.
What hardware do I need?
You need a Philips Hue Bridge (V1 or V2), a Hue Motion Sensor, and optionally an M5Stack Basic for the embedded version. The web version runs on any Node.js server.
Can I monitor multiple rooms at once?
Yes. The web version supports up to 20 sensors simultaneously, each with independent timers, logs, statistics, and alert configurations.
How does the alert system work?
You can configure multiple alert thresholds (e.g., 15, 20, 30, 45, 60 minutes). When occupancy exceeds a threshold, an audible alert plays. A separate urgent alert can be configured for critical durations.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free and open-source under the MIT license. No subscriptions or cloud services required.