What is the difference between 60GHz and 24GHz radar, and why can 60GHz radar detect respiration and heartbeat?
Feb 10, 2026
NEWS
Continue to increase investments in R&D and explore innovative technology of the radar.
Some customer asked me: they feel that 24GHz and 60GHz radar sound quite similar. So why is the former mostly used for lighting control, while the latter can detect respiration and heartbeat? Why is there such a big difference between these two seemingly similar devices?
In fact, 60GHz and 24GHz radar share the same fundamental operating principle, both relying on the Doppler effect of electromagnetic waves. The key difference lies in the frequency of the transmitted electromagnetic waves.
24GHz radar has a wavelength of approximately 12.5 mm (λ = c/f), with a narrow bandwidth and low range resolution. It excels in basic applications such as human presence and motion detection, with a detection range of up to 10–20 m. However, it has weak response to tiny vibrations.
60GHz radar has a much shorter wavelength of only 5 mm (λ = c/f), a wide bandwidth, and high range resolution that enables centimeter-level positioning. It also offers stronger anti-interference performance and a more compact module size. Although its detection range is limited to 1–10 m and suffers from higher atmospheric attenuation, its sensitivity to micro-movements is far superior to that of 24GHz radar.
The core reason 60GHz radar can detect respiration and heartbeat is its ability to capture tiny chest displacements: chest movement during breathing is about 0.1–5 mm, while surface vibrations caused by heartbeat are only 0.01–0.5 mm.
Its short wavelength results in a much more significant phase change for the same micro-movement, making the signal easily detectable. The wide bandwidth allows precise focusing on the chest area and effective filtering of background interference. The respiration rate and heart rate can then be extracted through algorithms.
In contrast, 24GHz radar cannot stably detect such weak signals due to insufficient sensitivity and resolution.
