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Space is a precious commodity, and underutilizing it is a waste of money. Research estimates that many companies can reduce their space requirements by about 30%. Counting the number of people entering and leaving the workspace is the key to the space utilization plan. This article outlines the latest developments in currently available technologies and people counting.

By using wasted space, companies can save about $1.5 trillion in rental costs. Smart technology can help identify underutilized areas and increase utilization, while improving employee well-being and efficiency. The first step in space optimization is to accurately understand how an area is used. This requires robust methods to count and track the number of people in the property. 1

However, smart systems that count and track people in the office can do more than inform space-saving plans. They can adjust heating, air conditioning, lighting and other environmental parameters according to the actual occupancy of the room, thereby reducing water and electricity bills. They can also tell employees where to find available work space. In the retail business, the personnel tracking system can be used to calculate passenger flow and optimize store layout. 2

The traditional people counting process involves a person standing next to a clicker and physically counting as they pass by. As you can imagine, this is a tedious and error-prone job. Fortunately, a wide range of technical solutions for people counting are now available using various cameras, sensors, and trackers. 3,4

Wi-Fi tracking uses signals from people's mobile phones and other devices to perceive their presence. The problem with counting people using this method is that people may not have a device, their device may be turned off, or they may have multiple devices, which leads to inaccurate counting. In addition, Wi-Fi tracking relies on triangulation signals to determine a person's location, which is not very accurate in small spaces. 5,6

When people walk by, ultrasonic sensors reflect sound waves from them. They are a very cost-effective solution, but they can only provide limited accuracy. They usually cannot distinguish objects and can be confused by textured surfaces that do not reflect sound waves as expected. 3

The single beam infrared sensor projects a beam of infrared light to the door. When a person breaks the beam through the doorway, their presence is detected. Single beam sensors can only provide limited accuracy because they cannot distinguish multiple people walking together. They also do not record whether a person enters or leaves the room. 7

Thermal imaging cameras use people's body temperature to detect their presence. They use movement to distinguish people and can record which direction a person is moving in. However, if they stand still, walk very close, and the ambient temperature is close to humans, it is difficult for them to accurately count the number of people. For example, they are also prone to errors when opening the door of an air-conditioned building in hot weather. 3

The CCTV personnel counter relies on installing software into the existing CCTV system. Since CCTV systems usually use a camera to count the number of people, their accuracy will be reduced due to the lack of interference from environmental factors such as depth perception and shadows. Installations usually address safety issues and are often not positioned in the best way for personnel counting. Since CCTV cameras capture images of people's faces to realize identity recognition, there are growing concerns about privacy and GDPR compliance. 3,5

Compared with the single-camera solution, the stereoscopic people counting system uses two cameras to provide depth perception and improve counting accuracy. Stereo vision is more expensive than other people counting techniques and is still limited by environmental conditions (such as ambient lighting conditions). 3,5

Time-of-flight (ToF) cameras provide 3D information in a simple, fast, easy to install, simple to use, compact, and cost-effective package. ToF technology has been widely used in robots and self-driving cars, and it is now disrupting the people counting industry. 8

ToF camera is composed of lens, integrated light source, sensor and computer interface. They illuminate the scene with pulsed light. Objects in the scene reflect light back to the sensor. ToF cameras measure the time it takes for light to travel from the light source to the scene and back to the detector. From these measurements, the distance to all objects in the image can be determined. The ToF camera simultaneously captures the depth and intensity information of each pixel in the image, thereby achieving high frame rates and unparalleled accuracy. 8,9

Although ToF cameras may be disturbed by scattered light, multiple reflections, and bright ambient light, there is no better way to capture the 3D information needed for accurate people counting. 8

Terabee provides ToF hardware and the necessary SDK (software development kit) so that users can write their own software applications. A complete people counting solution is under development and will be released in 2020 for users who want a plug-and-play ready-made solution. Their ToF technology provides a reliable, compact, and cost-effective solution. Their cameras capture the invisible and can even operate in the dark while protecting privacy and complying with GDPR. 9,10

Terabee is developing their own ToF people counting algorithm with a goal of 98% or higher accuracy. The upcoming Terabee ToF people counting software solution will be able to count the number of people entering and leaving the room while excluding stationary objects and background features. 11

Terabee provides two ToF cameras, Evo 64px is very suitable for standard doors, and Terabee 3Dcam 80x60 is very suitable for monitoring larger entrances. Whether you are looking for a 3D camera that can be integrated into your own people counting solution or looking for a complete people counting software package, Terabee can help. 11,12

This information is derived from materials provided by Terabee and has been reviewed and adapted.

For more information on this source, please visit Terabee.

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