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Developer Built Garden Thermal Occupancy Detector

The ESP32-based thermal camera monitors garden occupancy without requiring a cloud-connected account.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Landscaping

Bold vector editorial illustration of a compact thermal camera sensor mounted on a garden stake, symbolizing privacy-conscious local home monitoring.
William Rigby has created a privacy-focused, ESP32-based thermal detector that monitors garden activity locally without the need for cloud-connected accounts. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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William Rigby has developed an open-source thermal camera system designed to track warm objects in outdoor spaces. By using an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, the device identifies thermal patterns in dark conditions without relying on third-party cloud services.

Why it matters

The project addresses a growing desire for local, privacy-conscious monitoring tools that function offline. By avoiding cloud-based computer vision, users can observe garden activity while keeping their data entirely within their own home network.

The system utilizes an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with 16MB of flash storage and 8MB of OPI PSRAM. It achieves a 3-degree Celsius detection threshold above background temperatures and targets a USB streaming frame rate of 20 frames per second.

The players

William Rigby

William Rigby is the developer who created the ESP32-based thermal occupancy sensor for garden monitoring.

Home Assistant

Home Assistant is a widely used open-source platform for smart home automation that allows for local control and privacy.

The details

The device monitors thermal patterns and establishes a background model after an initial two-minute learning period. Users can define specific monitoring zones by drawing regions of interest directly on a browser interface, which then integrates with Home Assistant via MQTT to provide local alerts.

Timeline

  1. The project information was published on October 6, 2026.

Culture Shift

The rise of the ESP32 microcontroller architecture has enabled low-power IoT devices to perform complex tasks like local computer vision, which this project follows. This device reflects a broader shift toward edge computing, where processing power is moved from remote servers to local home hardware to improve privacy and reliability.

Users can implement this system to detect small animals or visitors in their garden without the ongoing subscription costs of cloud-based cameras. Because the device lacks authentication for its interfaces, users must ensure the system is only accessible within a secure local network.

The takeaway

This project demonstrates that sophisticated occupancy detection can be achieved affordably using open-source hardware and local software. Users should prioritize network security when deploying IoT devices that currently lack built-in authentication measures.

Further reading

For more on outdoor automation, visit the Landscaping section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Electronics For You - Official Site ElectronicsForU.com.

Live Poll

Do you trust home security devices that operate offline more than cloud-connected smart home systems?