Radar sensors seem to be experiencing a real boom at CES, especially in the area of ​​technology designed to monitor elderly family members. One product in particular caught my attention because it focuses on one important function: preventing kitchen fires caused by someone walking away from the stove.

The iGuardStove is essentially a smart automatic shut-off device for your stove or cooktop. Its new radar-based version costs $399 and works on both gas and electric stovetops. (Gas stovetops require a shut-off valve to be installed by a plumber.) If you leave the kitchen while cooking, a five-minute timer starts. If you don’t return by the timer’s end, the device will either shut off power to your electric stovetop or cut off power to your gas stovetop. It can also notify a caregiver of the shutdown.

Why is this technology for comfortable living in old age?

This year, one of the main topics in smart technology is the ability to stay at home in old age. Most older adults would prefer to live at home as long as possible, but health issues can hinder this. When it comes to cooking or other mentally demanding activities, mental health issues like dementia and medications that can cause cognitive side effects come into play. Given all this, caregivers often worry that a parent might leave the kitchen while cooking, forgetting the stove is on.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires, the leading cause of fire-related injuries, and the third leading cause of fire deaths. Unattended cooking equipment accounts for half of these deaths . Elderly people are more likely to be affected by fires than young or middle-aged people.

The appliance is equipped with a five-minute timer, an added safety feature developed by the company in collaboration with the UL safety organization, as Marketing Director John Landers told me. You can also disable the five-minute timer if you’re roasting a turkey or simmering a sauce. In this case, you tell the appliance how long you want the dish to cook, and it allows that time to complete before reverting to the regular five-minute timer.

Why is radar used?

The previous version of iGuardStove used motion sensors, but if you’ve ever worked in an office where the lights were triggered by motion sensors, you know why this wasn’t the best solution: if you sat still at your desk for too long, the lights would turn off. The older version of the device could turn off while you were waiting for dinner to cook, and it could be triggered by pet movements. Radar solves these problems, as it can more accurately detect when a person is in the room.

At CES this year, I saw radar sensors in a number of home improvement devices for seniors. PontoSense ‘s Silver Shield uses radar to track a person’s presence and movement in a room, transmitting information about movement and potential falls to a caregiver app. Luna , a communication and reminder device from Cairns Health, includes radar that can track heart rate and breathing (even through blankets!) when placed near a person’s bed. iGuardStove shares some monitoring features with these devices, but it focuses on its core function—ensuring that the stove isn’t left on unattended.

Radar can “see” a lot, but it’s less of a privacy intrusion than using a camera. Having a device in the kitchen is also less intrusive than in the bedroom, for those who might be uneasy about being watched by a technology device while they sleep.

In addition to turning off the stove, iGuardStove can notify the caregiver (via the app, of course) of information such as the time of the first visit to the kitchen. The device can detect nocturnal wanderings if the person enters the kitchen at night; it can also send an alert if the person is inactive at their usual time. For example, if your mom usually makes coffee around 9:00 AM every morning, you can ask the app to notify you if the kitchen is still empty at 10:00 AM.

Other monitoring and security features

In addition to turning off the stove and alerting you to someone’s presence in the kitchen, iGuardStove offers a number of other useful features. The gas version can detect unburned gas if someone leaves the stove on without a burner in use.

The device can also be configured to prevent pets or children from turning on the stove, or it can be locked to prevent cooking during certain hours or days (such as at night). The app can also alert a caregiver if the temperature gets too hot or cold, prompting them to check the situation if the heat or cold is severe enough to affect the room temperature.

While many of the products I saw at CES were speculative or optimistic in their application scenarios—I often wonder, “Who will actually use this?”—the iGuardStove seems like a well-thought-out device with specific applications and benefits. I was impressed! The new device is expected to go on sale later this year.

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Radar sensors seem to be experiencing a real boom at CES, especially in the area of ​​technology designed to monitor elderly family members. One product in particular caught my attention because it focuses on one important function: preventing kitchen fires caused by someone walking away from the stove.

iGuard is essentially a smart automatic shut-off device for your stove or cooktop. Its new radar-based version costs $399 and works on both gas and electric stovetops. (Gas stovetops require a shut-off valve to be installed by a plumber.) If you leave the kitchen while cooking, a five-minute timer starts. If you don’t return by the timer’s end, the device will either shut off power to your electric stovetop or cut off power to your gas stovetop. It can also notify a caregiver of the shutdown.

Why is this technology for comfortable living in old age?

This year, one of the main topics in smart technology is the ability to stay at home in old age. Most older adults would prefer to live at home as long as possible, but health issues can hinder this. When it comes to cooking or other mentally demanding activities, mental health issues like dementia and medications that can cause cognitive side effects come into play. Given all this, caregivers often worry that a parent might leave the kitchen while cooking, forgetting the stove is on.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires, the leading cause of fire-related injuries, and the third leading cause of fire deaths. Unattended cooking equipment accounts for half of these deaths . Elderly people are more likely to be affected by fires than young or middle-aged people.

The appliance is equipped with a five-minute timer, an added safety feature developed by the company in collaboration with the UL safety organization, as Marketing Director John Landers told me. You can also disable the five-minute timer if you’re roasting a turkey or simmering a sauce. In this case, you tell the appliance how long you want the dish to cook, and it allows that time to complete before reverting to the regular five-minute timer.

Why is radar used?

The previous version, called iGuardStove, used motion sensors, but if you’ve ever worked in an office where the lights were triggered by motion sensors, you know why this wasn’t the best solution: if you sat still at your desk for too long, the lights would turn off. The older version of the device could turn off while you were waiting for dinner to cook, and it could be triggered by pet movements. Radar solves these problems, as it can more accurately detect when a person is in the room.

At CES this year, I saw radar devices in a number of home improvement products for seniors. PontoSense ‘s Silver Shield uses radar to track a person’s presence and movement in a room, transmitting information about movement and potential falls to a caregiver app. Luna , a communication and reminder device from Cairns Health, includes radar that can track heart rate and breathing (even through blankets!) when placed near a person’s bed. iGuard shares some monitoring features with these devices, but it focuses on its core function—ensuring that the stove isn’t left on unattended.

Radar can “see” a lot, but it’s less of a privacy intrusion than using a camera. Having a device in the kitchen is also less intrusive than in the bedroom, for those who might be uneasy about being watched by a technology device while they sleep.

In addition to turning off the stove, iGuard can notify the caregiver (via the app, of course) of information such as the time of the first visit to the kitchen. It can track nocturnal wanderings if a person enters the kitchen at night; it can also send an alert if the person doesn’t appear alert or awake at the usual time. For example, if your mom usually makes coffee around 9:00 AM every morning, you can ask the app to notify you if the kitchen is still empty at 10:00 AM.

Other monitoring and security features

In addition to turning off the stove and detecting human presence in the kitchen, iGuard offers a number of other useful features. The version designed for gas stoves can detect unburned gas if someone leaves the stove on without a burner in use.

The device can also be configured to prevent pets or children from turning on the stove, or it can be locked to prevent cooking during certain hours or days (such as at night). The app can also alert a caregiver if the temperature gets too hot or cold, prompting them to check the situation if the heat or cold is severe enough to affect the room temperature.

While many of the products I saw at CES were speculative or optimistic in their application scenarios—I often wonder, “Who will actually use this?”—iGuard seems like a well-thought-out device with specific applications and benefits. I was impressed! The new device is expected to go on sale later this year.

Update 01/07/2025 7:48 AM PT: Fixed an error indicating the new product is called iGuard and the previous version with motion sensors was called iGuardStove.

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