For smart building technology, advances in data gathering and analysis are opening new possibilities. Presently, with the increasing penetration of IoT devices such as smartphones, sensors, cameras, RFID tags, etc. globally, it is possible to collect information for monitoring and counting people in commercial buildings for real-time occupancy tracking. Implementing these smart IoT occupancy sensors in office buildings, events and seminars, shopping malls, airports, railway stations, museums, etc., helps achieve efficient crowd management and resource allocation.
Various Passive Infrared Radiation (PIR) sensors are used to detect people available as well as entering a space, and when these sensors detect an object, they activate a webcam and a centralized system connected to the PIR. A smart people counting solution focuses on defining an intelligent information infrastructure in building architecture, managing occupancy, and people detection in real-time.
Let’s understand how IoT-based occupancy detection and people counting benefit various spaces and result in space utilization, resource utilization, and crowd management in emergencies.
IoT Technology for People Counting: How It Works?
The Internet of Things is a combination of networks, gateways, sensing devices, and data processing devices, all connected to the internet, sharing and transmitting crucial sensing data to a centralized system. With IoT, everyday objects can be identified by sensing, networking, and processing, allowing these objects to communicate over the internet, sharing information on location, movement, temperature, and other physical parameters.
When it comes to people counting in large areas, monitoring space occupancy, a smartly placed PIR sensor with a webcam and lighting system within the facility provides data on exact space occupancy, how frequently it varies, occupancy limit, etc. It also identifies wasted and overused space.
So how does people counting work in a building, for example?
1.Sensors are installed in buildings to gather historical data on occupancy, movements, heat, light, and used space.
2. For this, a people counting system uses PIR sensors to scan the presence of people, and it also counts the people entering the building. A PIR sensor motion detector is more suitable because it does not easily interfere with various heat sources and sunlight.
3. The PIR sensor receives emitted infrared rays from the objects.
4. The data is combined with webcams and a centralized system for further processing.
Along with IoT, many other distinct technologies are used for people counting purposes, such as infrared beams, thermal imaging, computer vision, Wi-Fi connectivity, and other motion detection methods.
When the sensor detects a person, it records a 5V signal for a short period based on changes in infrared radiation. The webcam and lighting system are then activated by the amplified voltage produced. When the webcam turns on, it begins recording and transmits the footage to a Raspberry Pi system connected to both the webcam and the sensor. All data is collected by the remote server and stored in the central tables of the pre-established database for analysis in the core tables.
A smart people counting process is based on video and sensor-based people counting and space occupancy detection, where these sensors allow for reaching the highest occupancy limits while ensuring optimum space and resource utilization.
Various Types of People Counting Systems
Detecting the accurate level of people in any given space can be achieved in the following ways:
a.RFID People Counting System
b. Wi-Fi People Counting System
c. Video-Based People Counting System
d. Infrared Beam People Counting System
e. Thermal Imaging People Counting System
f. Ultrasonic People Counting System
g. Bluetooth People Counting System
h. Facial Recognition People Counting System
How IoT Benefits in People Counting?
1.Better Customer Service
IoT-based people counting systems provide real-time data on customer traffic in retail settings, which can help businesses adjust their staffing accordingly to meet customer demand. This can improve customer service, leading to better customer satisfaction.
2. Increase Sales
If businesses can understand customer traffic, they can adjust their marketing and promotional efforts to target customers when they are most likely to purchase.
3. Improved Safety
People counting systems can help businesses identify areas of high traffic and adjust staffing accordingly. This can help manage capacity and occupancy limits of a building. Many buildings and spaces that organize events and seminars utilize occupancy detection methods to reinforce emergency protocols that can minimize adverse effects in case of an emergency.
4. Better Efficiency
People counting systems can identify low traffic areas and appropriately staff these areas for a more cost-effective and efficient experience. It also leads to better space utilization.
People Counting Systems Also Face Challenges
Implementing IoT technology in any industry benefits the business and customers, like campus management and office occupancy detection; however, limitations exist.
a. People must be monitored in extremely dynamic situations because their motion is frequently very high just before and right after stopping.
b. People must be monitored while using public transportation, which may involve abrupt changes in lighting and intensity, which will alter the perceived quality of the sensed data.
c. In a busy and crowded background scene, people are standing close to or partially obstructing one another while exhibiting a high degree of physical variability.
d. There is a lot of variation in people's appearance in terms of size, position, and fashion. People are also capable of carrying two items and a variety of clothing types and styles.
e. Variability in appearance depending on perspective distortion or viewing angle.
To summarize, a people counting system based on IoT sensors and video cameras is a perfect solution that is leveraged by organizers hosting events, seminars, etc. Even smart buildings, museums, and offices use occupancy level detection for managing crowds as well as establishing emergency protocols. IoT-based people counting and occupancy detection in any space elevates audience experience and ensures a safe, secure, and efficient people management.
Frequently Asked Questions on Occupancy Detection and People Counting
Q1. What businesses use a people-counting system?
A people counting system is used by a huge variety of businesses to detect the existing number of people and those frequently entering a building. This system is widely used in shopping malls, big retail stores, museums, libraries, airports, and huge restaurants.
Q2. What is smart IoT people counting?
Smart IoT people counting system provides accurate data about the number of people present in a premises with the help of PIR (passive infrared radiation) sensors connected with Raspberry Pi, a credit card-sized computer.
Q3. What types of people counting system exists?
For different sectors, different types of people counting system exists, these are RFID people counting, thermal, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, video-based, infrared beam, and more people counting systems.
Disclaimer: The information presented here is for general information purposes only and true to best of our understanding. Users are requested to use any information as per their own understanding and knowledge. Before using any of the information, please refer to our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
