UniFI Vape Sensor & AI Speaker

[STK91]

Just noticed UniFi have dropped some more Protect products. Thought I’d share it, might be good for some…references a school. 

 

 

[GK1999]

Our school already has 22 of these Vape Sensors on pre-order - exiciting! 

[MYK-IT]

1 hour ago, GK1999 said:

Our school already has 22 of these Vape Sensors on pre-order - exiciting! 

 

We have been testing Verkada SV23, but still researching so interested in approx. unit cost of these? Also, would they work without a Unifi Wi-Fi/network infrastructure? Presuming they connect via wired PoE?

 

Thanks,

[STK91]

12 minutes ago, MYK-IT said:

 

We have been testing Verkada SV23, but still researching so interested in approx. unit cost of these? Also, would they work without a Unifi Wi-Fi/network infrastructure? Presuming they connect via wired PoE?

 

Thanks,

You'd need to be running the UniFi Protect application on a NVR or Cloud Key.

[ZeroHour]

I wonder how good the anti-vandal is.

[FN-GM]

Am I missing something? How is this speaker AI?

[STK91]

Just now, FN-GM said:

Am I missing something? How is this speaker AI?

Ha!

 

It isn't. I think they refer to there Alarm manager in Protect. Strange why 'AI' is added to everything now.

[BKGarry]

6 minutes ago, ZeroHour said:

I wonder how good the anti-vandal is.

 

Hopefully I will be able to tell you as we have an area for the children with personalities, that we may have to get them for 🙂

[dhicks]

3 hours ago, ZeroHour said:

I wonder how good the anti-vandal is.

 

They do seem designed for mounting flush on suspended ceilings, I'm guessing with the same locking mechanism their WiFi access points use (where you have to poke a slim metal tool into a hole in the side to be able to remove the device fromthe bracket). Not 100% vandal-proof, of course, but if it's anything like the WiFi access points you would probably struggle to pull it off the ceiling before the ceiling tile came apart with it.

 

I'm guessing data from the sensor might be available via Ubiquiti's API, therefore we could export that to a daily spreadsheet for wider access - possibly for use by pupils in projects.

 

Is there anything people use to simulate vaping - maybe a squirty bottle of something?

[Boredguy]

As it's part of Protect, likely be able to use the Vape Alert to trigger a recording event of your local cameras as well as send a notification e-mail

[synaesthesia]

We are awaiting the ability to order then we're getting one immediately.

My previous method of testing was a combination of sprays to check for false positives, and a vaping member of staff to come and vape underneath it  I mean, there's a million confiscated vapes we could use but we have a vague idea where they've been! 

I might just bring in one of my wife's old vapes as you can trigger it without sucking on it (with approval from SLT of course for these purposes).

[MicraMan]

On 09/06/2026 at 16:23, dhicks said:

 

They do seem designed for mounting flush on suspended ceilings, I'm guessing with the same locking mechanism their WiFi access points use (where you have to poke a slim metal tool into a hole in the side to be able to remove the device fromthe bracket). Not 100% vandal-proof, of course, but if it's anything like the WiFi access points you would probably struggle to pull it off the ceiling before the ceiling tile came apart with it.

 

I'm guessing data from the sensor might be available via Ubiquiti's API, therefore we could export that to a daily spreadsheet for wider access - possibly for use by pupils in projects.

 

Is there anything people use to simulate vaping - maybe a squirty bottle of something?

you could use a battery humidifier as the results (i would imagine) would be the same

[synaesthesia]

New toys arrived today after ordering on Friday!

Shame I won't get a chance to properly play & test for a couple of days, but adopted them. Usual easy UniFi process, high quality packaging & fittings.

[stevewill6]

In the process of ordering one and a cloud key now as a proof of concept.

[BKGarry]

What I didn't realise when I ordered them if that you need an AI Speaker or something for actual audible alarms, just an FYI there

[Alastairb25]

We are Unifi for Wifi and Cisco for LAN.

Vape we have some cheaper units (Tuya) 

The Cisco gear will have to last a while yet

 

However it has not gone unnoticed that a School could go Unifi across the Estate

 

WAN, LAN, Doors, Bells, Vape Detectors and CCTV

 

 

[BKGarry]

We have LAN, CCTV (ours not the premises CCTV system through the PFI) and WiFi with them. 
 

Access Control etc if the responsibility of the PFI and that doesn't sync with anything, if anyone else has had Honeywell WinPAK in their time, you know the pain

[synaesthesia]

2 hours ago, BKGarry said:

What I didn't realise when I ordered them if that you need an AI Speaker or something for actual audible alarms, just an FYI there

 

Think I might have hit upon that whilst I quickly tinkered - alerts easily enough to email or to anyone's phone with unifi protect app installed, but there seems to be enough API tinkerage possibilities to make it doable with the MacGuyver Protocol.

 

Quite fond of the status LED that illuminates the ceiling - green for good quality, through blue, purple to red for bad quality - and better still can turn it off so students don't make a game of it!

Edited June 15 by synaesthesia

[FragglePete]

2 hours ago, BKGarry said:

What I didn't realise when I ordered them if that you need an AI Speaker or something for actual audible alarms, just an FYI there

 

Can you not just do e-mail alerts, or do you have to have an audible alert device configured?

 

Pete

 

[BKGarry]

@synaesthesia said you can do email alerts, but for one area, I may get an AI Speaker to alert the teachers on duty that there has been a detection.

[FN-GM]

19 hours ago, FragglePete said:

 

Can you not just do e-mail alerts, or do you have to have an audible alert device configured?

 

Pete

 

I think it supports webhooks, so Teams notifications could be an option.

[BKGarry]

Got mine, got emails working, but I am unsure what the linking to a camera is meant to do right now

[synaesthesia]

It does indeed do webhooks - that's next on my list.

Given it an hour today - email and push notifications work well.

Very impressed with how easily it differentiates vape from other airbornes such as deodorant - with SLT's permission, I've borrowed one of my wifes old vapes with no real nasties in it and so far it does a better job than what I saw with Verkada back in the day (note that's at least 5 years ago so things have likely changed). It's certainly a mile better than any of the off-the-shelf chinesiums Tuya type things.

 

Worst case scenario is that we create a user with an email list for emailed notifications - about a second from the lights going funky colours to the email hitting my inbox, and push notification was received at the same time.

 

Very quick chat with my line manager earlier and mentioned about the AI speaker in an ideal world, but she instantly thought that it might suit quite well on the outside of the toilets they'd be fitted to. Might not even be necessary.

Really struggling to find fault with the value for money side of it. UI needs work but that's about it so far!

[BKGarry]

webhooks is on my list too, but it seems you need Power automate premium for that feature, which only our deputy head has at the moment

[Aprice]

Well that's going to hit Verkada, with this being under £100 and subscription free.