The Matter of Automatic Door Doubt

The door is automatic.

This is known. The sign above the door says automatic door. The door's mechanism is familiar from dozens of previous interactions with similar doors. The door will open when the sensor detects a person approaching at the correct distance and angle.

The door has not opened yet.

The Assessment

The person approaching has reached a distance at which doors typically open. The door has not opened. The sensor threshold for this door may be slightly different from other automatic doors. Or the person is approaching from a slightly off-center angle. Or there is a brief processing delay that is operating within normal parameters.

These are all likely explanations that do not require intervention.

The Wave

A wave has been initiated. The wave is directed at the sensor, which is visible above the door frame. The wave communicates: I am here, I am a person, I would like the door to open.

The sensor does not receive waves as input. The sensor measures distance and movement. The wave provides movement, which may have contributed to the door's decision to open. It may also have been coincidental.

The Opening

The door opened at the moment of or shortly after the wave. This sequence has been noted. The person has entered.

Whether the wave caused the opening or whether the opening was going to happen regardless is not known. The subjective experience of the wave coinciding with the opening is sufficient to make the wave feel effective.

The next slow automatic door will also receive a wave. This is expected.