Radar-guided air conditioners from LG, Samsung and Hisense aim to cut cooling waste
New AC models unveiled through 2026, including LG's DualCool AI with a 5-meter radar sensor and Hisense's Companion Living AC, use motion tracking and smart home data to direct cooling only toward occupants rather than entire rooms. Similar targeted-cooling features have appeared from Samsung, Dyson, Dreo and Midea, building on occupancy-sensing technology Mitsubishi Electric first introduced in 1994.
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Air conditioning and fans already account for roughly 20 percent of building electricity use worldwide, and with AC units projected to reach 5.5 billion by 2050, even modest per-unit efficiency gains from targeted cooling could add up across the global fleet. However, whether these radar- and AI-driven features meaningfully reduce household energy bills, as opposed to simply improving comfort, remains to be independently verified rather than taken as manufacturers' claims.
- LG, Samsung, Hisense, Dyson, Dreo and Midea have all introduced AI- or radar-based targeted cooling features in recent product cycles.
- LG's DualCool AI AC uses a 5-meter radar sensor to track occupant movement patterns for precooling specific zones.
- Cooling technologies are under scrutiny because AC and fans already represent about 20% of global building electricity use and 3-4% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner — This smart inverter AC uses occupancy-aware controls and app-based scheduling to trim energy use, echoing the radar-sensing efficiency trend in the article. Its U-shaped design also seals better than traditional units, reducing wasted cooling and noise.
See Midea U Inverter Window Air Conditioner on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: wired.com — Sophie Charara, 2026-11-06
Published there as: “Can a Radar-Equipped AC Actually Cut Your Power Bill?”
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