As a business owner, you have probably wondered, at least once, how many customers walk through your doors daily and how you could optimize your business operations to convert them. Have you ever heard about visitation, or footfall tracking systems? In fact, it is a valuable tool to consider.
Footfall systems are increasing in the global market as a result of recent technological advancements. According to SPER Market Research, the Global People Counting System Market is estimated to reach USD 3.52 billion by 2032 with a CAGR of 12.43%.
Market players are adapting and improving their products to meet current demand. On the one hand, the growth of e-commerce and increased attention to public counters in places and transit hubs will drive market expansion. On the other hand, privacy is a hot topic that may cause slower growth in this market.
People counting technologies, also known as visitor counters or footfall trackers, are devices or systems that count and track the number of people who visit a specific location.
These technologies are critical for a wide range of industries and businesses because they provide actionable data that allows managers to make informed decisions.
For example, it can help businesses in the retail and hospitality industries understand how customers behave and improve conversion rates. They can track occupancy levels and adjust staffing accordingly.
Footfall sensors can also be used to monitor foot traffic and ensure safety in public areas such as airports, libraries, and theme parks. Overall, footfall technologies are an essential tool for businesses seeking to gain insights into their customer data and optimize operations.
As there are numerous options to consider, this article provides an overview of various people counting technologies, along with their benefits and drawbacks, in order to better understand which best suits each business.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras can be used to track people’s movements by using computer vision algorithms to process camera footage. With this technology, the number of people walking through a certain area can be seen and recorded.
CCTV is prevalent in businesses and premises of all kinds, which makes it a highly flexible method of counting and monitoring people.
However, CCTV is not fully optimized for people counting solutions, which leads to limitations like low accuracy and inefficient monitoring. When there is some obstacle or moving object, such as baby carriages or shadows, this can affect the accuracy of the results.
To cover wider entrances, multiple cameras need to be installed at different angles, which increases the cost.
In summary, while CCTV cameras can be used for people counting, it’s not the most accurate or cost-effective solution, especially if the area is wide and has multiple entrances.
Pros:
+ Reasonable accuracy
+ Direction monitoring
Cons:
- Limited viewability
- Limited coverage
- High cost
- Privacy is a concern
- Hard to install: Often uses existing hardware that increases complications when integrating into the existing network
Beam counter sensors are a type of technology that detects and counts people passing through a specific area by using infrared beams.
These sensors are typically mounted above doorways or in other areas where people are likely to pass through and emit infrared beams across the width of the doorway. When a beam is broken, the sensor detects the interruption and increments a count.
Beam counter sensors are suitable for businesses that have a high volume of foot traffic, such as retail stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, and other commercial spaces. They are also appropriate for public spaces such as airports, libraries, and theme parks, where the number of people entering and exiting the premises must be monitored for safety and security reasons.
They do, however, have some limitations, such as not providing separate in and out counts because they lack the ability to sense direction.
Furthermore, because they count side-by-side objects as one, beam counter sensors may not be as accurate as other options, and accuracy decreases with wider doorways.
Moreover, beam counters cannot distinguish between items such as shopping carts or strollers.
While beam counters are a low-cost and simple-to-install option, their range and accuracy may not be adequate for certain applications, particularly in larger entrances.
Pros:
+ Privacy-friendly
+ Low cost
+ Easy to install
Cons:
- Low accuracy
- Direction
- Viewability limitation
- Low coverage
Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors are a type of people-counting technology that detects and counts the number of people passing through a specific area by measuring the time difference between the emission of a signal and its return to the sensor.
They typically use ultrasound, infrared, or laser signals to determine the distance between the sensor and an object.
However, this technology has some drawbacks. Although ToF sensors can operate in complete darkness, they are frequently affected by sunlight, which can disrupt the signal and result in inaccurate data.
They also have a low resolution and may not be as accurate in crowded areas, making distinguishing between objects or individuals difficult.
Furthermore, because this technology requires multiple sensors to cover a larger area, especially in low-light conditions, it may be more expensive than it seems.
Pros:
+ Privacy-friendly
+ Work with low-light conditions
Cons:
- High cost
- Low accuracy
- Direction
- Viewability limitation
- Low coverage
Thermal counters use a person’s body heat to measure foot traffic. They create images using infrared radiation, similar to how a camera uses visible light.
These sensors are installed at entrances to detect and count human body temperatures. They can count in low light conditions.
Although, more sensors are required to cover the same area, increasing the cost.
They can be used in underground parking garages, public transportation stations, industrial facilities, government buildings, healthcare facilities, and other similar locations.
However, they are not without limitations, as they may not be the best option for businesses that require higher accuracy, broad coverage, or audience data.
In fact, direct sunlight or warm weather can impair their ability to detect body heat and provide accurate information.
Crowded groups also reduce accuracy because sensors cannot differentiate between individuals based on their temperature signatures.
Furthermore, due to their low resolution and field of vision, they are unable to differentiate between adults and children, which may affect demographic accuracy.
Pros:
+ Privacy-friendly
+ Works in low-light conditions
Cons:
- High cost
- Low accuracy
- Low coverage
- Low resolution
As the name suggests, Wi-Fi-based footfall counters use the Wi-Fi network of mobile devices to count individuals.
They detect smartphones searching for a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to estimate foot traffic. Wi-Fi sensors can provide information about customer behavior, such as dwell time and return customers.
Wi-Fi may not be accurate, as counting the foot traffic of people who do not use smartphones is impossible. However, the risk is low since, nowadays, only certain demographics, like children under 13 years old or the elderly, don’t use mobile phones on a daily basis.
A more practical concern is data privacy compliance, which can render Wi-Fi sensors unreliable. Smartphone manufacturers or footfall sensor providers may randomize and hash phone Mac IDs to ensure anonymity.
Such solutions are best suited for large retailers and malls with large spaces.
It is suggested that Wi-Fi counters not be used as the only or main way to keep track of numbers but rather in combination with other methods.
Pros:
+ Wide coverage
+ Easy to use: When installing a stand-alone solution
+ Privacy-friendly
Cons:
- Limited accuracy
2D Mono counters, also known as monocular sensors, use movement detection against a static background.
They have a single camera lens to detect and count people and are installed top-down.
However, 2D Mono counters present some limitations: a lack of depth perception that affects the accurate detection of objects in crowded, poorly lit, or high-traffic areas.
Moreover, this sensor is susceptible to counting errors in environments with shadows, sunlight, and moving objects like shopping carts.
In conclusion, they are cost-effective and easy to install but provide inaccurate data that is dependent on the environment.
Pros:
+ Low cost
+ Easy to install
Cons:
- Low accuracy
- Viewability/light-condition limitations
3D People Counter leverages the power of 3D Stereo Vision technology to detect and count individuals accurately.
This technology is capable of extracting 3D insights from images captured by stereo cameras, installed top-down at entry and exit points.
The cameras are equipped with depth perception, allowing them to filter out objects that do not meet the height requirements set during calibration.
Unlike previous sensor technologies, 3D Stereo Vision is not susceptible to interference from environmental factors such as sunlight or shadows.
In conclusion, 3D Video Sensors offer a distinct advantage over other forms of people counting technology.
Pros:
+ Foot traffic count
+ Demographic data
+ Work with every environmental/light condition
+ High accuracy
Cons:
- Limited coverage
- High cost
- Privacy is a concern
Active stereo vision is an advanced technology that mimics human vision, similar to stereo vision.
However, it incorporates an enhanced module that projects onto the monitored area, allowing it to generate depth information even in complete darkness.
This allows businesses to utilize the benefits of 3D stereo vision in any lighting conditions.
The technology works by processing the combined images captured by the sensors and creating depth maps, which provide accurate and reliable people counting.
Sensors are typically installed on the ceiling, overlooking the entrance to the location.
The technology differentiates objects based on their height, enabling it to count people correctly even when they are standing close together.
Moreover, it also features a wide field of view, covering the entire area, which reduces the cost of the system.
Pros:
+ Foot traffic count
+ Work with any light condition
+ High accuracy
+ High reliability
+ High coverage
Cons:
- High cost
- Large volumes of data processing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze data and make decisions.
In the context of people counting and tracking, AI can be used to analyze data from CCTV cameras, Wi-Fi sensors, or other sources to detect and count people entering and exiting a specific area.
The AI algorithms typically involve using computer vision and machine learning to analyze images and videos and identify people.
Visitors traffic count can be made by the Viola-Jones face detection algorithm. The Viola-Jones algorithm has been proven to apply in real-time due to the rapid computation and simplicity of face feature extraction with the best feature selection.
Facial images can be registered using multi‐view Active Appearance Models.
Pre-trained models for demographic feature extraction from cloud services such as Google Cloud’s Vision API and Microsoft Azure Face were found to be sufficient.
Camshift is a robust algorithm for color-based tracking in real-time applications that can help with movement trajectory identification. The Camshift algorithm is the adaptation of the mean shift algorithm for face tracking.
Certainly, AI People Counters provide highly accurate data, such as detecting and counting people in crowded areas, and insights into the direction of travel, dwell time, and demographics.
Besides their flexibility, they can be integrated with other systems (security cameras, POS systems) and access control systems, however, this can create complications during system integration into secure environments.
This solution is relatively expensive to implement since AI-based systems require powerful hardware, advanced algorithms, and a high level of technical expertise to set up and maintain.
In addition, they present some privacy concerns: AI-based systems capture images of individuals, which can raise privacy concerns in some countries.
AI-based people counting and tracking systems can provide high levels of accuracy, flexibility, and additional data for businesses, but they also come with high costs, privacy concerns, and complexity. It is important for businesses to weigh the pros and cons before implementing this technology.
Pros:
+ Foot traffic count
+ Demographic data
+ High viewability
+ High accuracy
+ High flexibility
Cons:
- High cost
- Privacy is a concern
- Complexity
In conclusion, people-counting technologies are a valuable tool for businesses to gain insights into their customer data and optimize operations. As we have seen, there are many options to consider, each with its own unique set of pros and cons.
From thermal cameras to 3D stereo vision, businesses now have a wide range of options to choose from to understand and optimize their foot traffic.
Finally, to determine the best solution, it is critical to carefully evaluate all different people counting technologies as well as your specific business needs.
You can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, optimize operations, and make data-driven decisions that drive growth and success with the right technology in place.
