People counting can be useful for various end user entities. Yet proper installation of the camera is required to get the best result.
People counting, in which a camera or sensor system counts the number of people going in and out of a premises, can be useful for various end user entities. Yet proper installation of the camera is required to get the best result.
For a lot of end user entities, the counting of visitors coming in and out is essential. This way they gain the business intelligence that they need to improve performance and operational efficiencies. In this regard, people counting solutions can be of great assistance.
Among the vertical markets that can benefit from people counting systems the most is retail, where storeowners and retailers can
get a sense how many people visit their premises each day. This way they can make relevant sales and marketing strategies, and increase or reduce staff accordingly as needed.
“People counting is an essential practice for understanding the number of shoppers coming into your retail store as well as the areas they visit most. Without that information, your store(s) could take a downturn and remain that way for a while before managers notice,” said RetailNext in a post. “An effective traffic counting system can provide the data needed to better serve shoppers and grow your retail business.”
Yet people counting goes beyond revenue and performance optimization. Especially now with the coronavirus, end user premises across the globe are required by law and regulations to keep occupancy at a maximum. This is another area where
people counting systems can come in handy.
These benefits put people counting on a huge growth path. According to Global Market Insights, the people counting system market is expected to grow from US$900 million in 2018 to $2 billion by 2025.
Proper setup of people counting cameras
There are various types of people counters, for example time-of-flight counters and infrared-based counters. Yet
video-based people counting systems combining network cameras and people counting software offer certain advantages, for example the ability to filter out carts or other non-human objects, remote monitoring and switching to local storage in the event of power outages.
Yet for the video people counting system to work effectively, proper installation is also required. According to a post by ACTi, below are tips for installing a people counting camera properly.
- Place the camera straight down over where the people are walking.
- Do not tilt the camera.
- If the floor tiles or glass window has light reflection or shadows appear on the floor, it is recommended to place a floor mat or plain carpet on the area of detection.
- The camera logo indicates the upright camera orientation. For ease of configuration, it is recommended that camera is installed with the logo facing the people passing by.
- Make sure that the doors are not opened on the detection line.
It’s also worth noting that proper lighting is necessary to make the system work effectively. According to a post by Synology, the preferable light level is over 300 lux as features of moving people are hard to recognize in dark images.
Synology also provided the following lighting tips:
- Avoid direct sunlight in the detection areas. Direct light may leave streaks in the images or cause overexposure, affecting the picture quality.
- Remove flickering or glowing objects, such as neon lights.
- Avoid uneven illumination. Movements in the darker areas might not be detected correctly.
- Remove tilted light sources that create shadows. Shadows may blur the shape of human features.
- Adjust the color of the lighting according to actual environments to clearly separate hair from clothing. People may not be easily detected if the color of their hair and body are too similar.