Amazon’s Echo speakers can now detect people: Here’s how it works

Echo, Echo Dot speakers: If you kept tabs on Amazon’s announcements during its fall event this September, you would have come across the tech giant’s announcement that Echo and Echo Dot speakers would soon be able to detect people. And now, the devices have indeed been equipped with the capability to do so. This week onwards, Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot fourth-generation speakers would be able to use ultrasound to detect where the room has people present. The feature can be enabled or disabled by users in the Alexa app.

Now, I know what you’re thinking! ‘It sounds cool, but how will it help?’ Well… The Alexa app will also let users set up occupancy routines, like asking Alexa to ensure that lights are switched on when the Echo speaker detects people in the room, and switching off the lights when it is empty. It can also be ordered to tune into the radio between a particular period if someone is present in the room, and switching it off when the room is vacant.