peoplecounting

People counting refers to methods and technologies that determine how many people occupy or traverse a defined space. It supports real-time occupancy monitoring, traffic analysis, capacity planning, and operational decision making in retail, offices, events, and transit systems. Distinctions may be made between momentary headcounts, per-interval counts, and flow or dwell metrics.

Common methods include video-based computer vision, which detects and tracks individuals as they cross a line or move through a zone; infrared beam counters and pressure mats; and wireless approaches that infer presence from emitted signals such as Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth probes. Thermal imaging and depth sensors can improve privacy and performance in challenging conditions. Data from multiple sources are often fused to improve accuracy, with calibration and validation to address occlusion and counting errors.

Outputs typically include pass-through counts, peak occupancy, average dwell time, and occupancy trends over time. Applications include measuring store footfall and conversion, queue management, event planning, transportation passenger estimation, and building energy management through occupancy-aware HVAC and lighting.

Privacy and ethics are important. Counting systems should anonymize data, avoid facial recognition or device-level tracking, and comply with applicable data protection laws. Organizations often implement data minimization, access controls, and retention limits, and provide transparency about data use.

Limitations include accuracy under high density, changing lighting or camera angles, and potential biases in sensor placement. Ongoing calibration, validation, and consideration of privacy implications are essential for responsible use.