Businesses and enterprises in Dubai and all around the UAE are very adoptive towards modern technologies and advanced customer satisfaction solutions. The UAE is considered to be one of the most modernized and technologically advanced country, not only in MENA region but all around the world. This is due to the fact that the markets are growing, competition is increasing and the customer behavior is changing on a very rapid pace. Which demands from businesses such as retail, hospitality, healthcare, educational institutions, and service based sectors to adopt to a more proactive approach and improved business practices to stay above the competition.
The people counting system is not a new concept. In fact enterprises are counting footfall since a long time, however, the processes have evolved from an employee sitting at entrance carrying hand clicker to an AI (artificial intelligence) based people counting system with advanced analytical data gathering tools and in-built algorithms to process that data into actionable reports.
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In this blog we will discuss what a modern day people counting system is in 2022 and how businesses can benefit from its advanced features and capabilities.
What is a People Counting System?
A people counting system is a tool that help businesses and enterprises to count the number of people entering and leaving their premises. However, a modern day people counting system in 2022 does a lot more than just counting the visitors. A modern day people counting system is designed on the AI (artificial intelligence) based platforms with advanced image processing and data analytical algorithms. With intensive IT and technology integration in the businesses and even in our daily lives. The modern day success strategies are driven by the business intelligence data.
The integrated algorithms and AI enable the people counting system to collect valuable business intelligence data. Businesses are using dedicated hardware devices/sensors and some are using dedicated cameras for people counting. However, a modern people counting system in 2022 doesn’t require any of these. In fact it can be linked to the existing CCTV Security system to get the video feeds which is processed by the AI based algorithms in real-time to produce the analytical data.
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What are Different Types of People Counting Systems?
The people counting have started very early since the businesses have started offering services at their service centers and since the modern day retail businesses have established. The need to relate the number of visitors with the revenue generated or with sales remained the same. However, one more thing that added to the equation is the customer experience. Earlier the customer experience was not as that crucial as it is today. There are several studies and researches around the globe, which are suggesting that the customers value the experience equal to the product or service.
In order to improve customer experience businesses need to understand the customer behavior, their problems, their desires, needs and expectations. This all can be understand easily if the business have right amount and type of data. That is why the people counting system in 2022 not just count the number of visitors but they collect valuable analytical data which help businesses in analyzing their strategies and let them identify areas of improvement.
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The business intelligence data produced by a modern day people counting system is a valuable asset in present day business landscape. This demand is what driven the innovation and modernization in the people counting systems and methods. Here is a list of some most popular people counting systems and their features:
Modern People Counting System in 2022 with CCTV Integration
A people counting system is not just a software, but it also include some kind of hardware devices and sensors to detect the people. The businesses need a better, most accurate, rich in functionality and cost-efficient system. These all features are available in the modern day People Counting System with CCTV integration. Thanks to the recent advancements in the AI technology and image processing algorithms, a people counting software can extract the data from a live CCTV feed. That is why it has to be integrated with the CCTV security system.
The people counting system includes a highly advanced software which can be linked to any CCTV security system feeds. This means that all the CCTV cameras can be turned into sensors for the people counting system. This ability makes it one of the most effective, highly accurate and highly efficient people counting system in 2022. The ability to integrate with any existing CCTV security system also eliminate the need of installing new hardware devices and sensors, which also save a lot at initial cost and running expenses.
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The AI based people counting system help businesses not only get people count but several other details about the visitors and their movement within the premises. There are some older types or versions of people counting systems also available in the market, which tend to be less expensive than the AI based people counting system. However, it is important that you deploy only an AI based people counting system, the older systems are inaccurate and have limited data collection abilities.
However, a modern AI based people counting system can offer great accuracy, in-depth details and insight. Here are some key features of a modern AI based CCTV people counting system in 2022:
- Highly accurate people counting data
- Calculate the customer churn rate by relating the people count with the sales data
- Integration with POS, sales system or ERP to improve analytical data
- Accurately collect demographic details such as visitor’s gender, age group, etc.
- Generate heat maps on the bases of customer/visitor movement within the premises
- Ability to distinguish between the employees and the visitors
- Accurately calculate customer dwell time for each region/area within the premises
- Track the entire customer journey and queuing details
- Ability to track staff’s all day activity and movement
- API based secure integration with any other third-party system or enterprise tool
- In-built Analytical tools help businesses generate customized reports and understand trends
- Ability to automatically share reports (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) and send alerts on the pre-defined triggers or events
- Centralized database and information center allow businesses to link all branches and offices
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Infrared People Counter
The infrared people counter, infrared beam footfall counter, or IR people counter is a very basic technology which includes a laser/infrared light transmitter and a receiver with a count display. The infrared transmitter and receiver are installed at the doors or entrances. The transmitter is always on and the receiver continuously receives its light, but when an interruption occurs, the counter take it as a one person. The infrared people counter are very basic, easy to install and cheap but their results are poor.
The infrared people counters don’t have sense of direction hence they can’t separate the entering and leaving people. Another biggest drawback is that there is no sense of human detection, any physical object that disrupts the infrared light will be considered as a person. Which makes results highly inaccurate. The accuracy further declines when there are wider doors and multiple entrances and exits. About two decades ago the infrared people counters were fine, but today, they can’t meet the today’s needs.
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2D People Counter (2D Mono Counter)
The 2D people counter, 2D mono counter or monocular people counting systems are all the same thing with different names. These people counting devices use a single camera installed at the entrances in a top-down orientation. The counter works on the same principles as any ordinary camera, but the trick is done through the software, the camera detects the moving objects, and the software digitally refine the picture and count moving objects only by eliminating the static from the background. That is also an older technology, the software is also not as that advance to be able to distinguish objects.
Hence the results are inaccurate, the 2D people counter can’t distinguishes between moving human and non-human objects. Suitable only for indoor, bright lighting and low traffic entrances only because the sunlight can disturb the camera’s vision. The 2D people counters also perform poorly in crowded spaces. Hence the results are not as that accurate and the accuracy can further decline in certain places under certain conditions. That is why the 2D people counter systems are not so popular.
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Thermal People Counters
In order to minimize the problems in other popular technologies of the time the manufacturers introduced thermal people counters. A thermal people counter also consists of a thermal camera, same like the 2D Mono Counter. The difference is instead of using camera vision, the thermal people counters use body heat to detect a person. The thermal people counters are also installed in top-down orientation at the entrances and exits. Although the field vision is small and resolution is low but the thermal people counters are much better than the 2D mono counters in certain conditions.
The biggest disadvantage of the thermal people counter is that the sunlight and crowd can significantly reduce the accuracy. Furthermore as the thermal people counter measures body heat to detect a person and count the footfall, when a crowed formed it can’t distinguishes between one and other person which reduce the accuracy. Here in Dubai and all around the UAE the weather is hot, if the surrounding areas get hot equal or eve near to human body temperature, the sensor fails completely or the accuracy is extremely poor.
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ToF People Counters (Time of Flight Sensors)
The ToF People Counters or time-of-flight sensor based counters have overcome several common problems in the other people counting systems, however, they detect the person by sending a signal at them and then measure the time of receiving it back at the origin. It works similar to a radar, however, not as that sensitive at all. The sensor itself emits several wavelengths such as infrared, ultrasound, laser light, etc. The resolution of the sensor is low and it also has to be closer to the object.
Hence the ToF sensors are also installed in top-down orientation just above the traffic. This means more sensors are required to cover a wider area which increase cost. The accuracy is slightly better than other dedicated sensors however, the sunlight, crowded entrances and wider areas can significantly reduce the accuracy of the data. The sensors are also very inaccurate in detecting any demographic data. That is why the ToF people counters never been able to gain huge popularity.
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3D Stereo Vision People Counters
The 3Dstereo vision people counters as name suggest, uses highly advance 3D vision technology to detect the people. There is a wide variety of 3D stereo vision sensors, however the people counting system works on the same mechanisms. The 3D stereo sensor consist of two cameras, that work on almost the same as natural human vision, the picture captured from two cameras is processed in real time and combined to get the required spatial depth, which improve the ability to detect and distinguish humans and other moving objects.
Hence the accuracy is relatively higher. The 3D stereo people counters remain unaffected by weather or lighting conditions, however, in the crowded scenarios the accuracy declines significantly. Another important factor is the calibration, each system have to be calibrated which could also impact the accuracy of the data.
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3D Active Stereo Vision People Counter
The 3D active stereo vision people counting sensor is the upgraded version of the 3D stereo vision people counting system. The only difference is that the active stereo vision counters are capable of operating in fully dark and no-light conditions as well. The 3D active stereo vision people counters are also installed in top-down orientation, usually at the ceiling. The new sensor coupled with upgraded software can improve the accuracy and also make the data much more accurate.
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How a People Counting System can Help Businesses?
The people counting system is used to improve the customer experience management strategies. A variety of businesses can utilize people counting system to maximize their operational capabilities, their customer experience and it also help them improve their strategies and planning which ultimately results in more revenue generation and increased sales. An in-depth visitor analytical data help businesses understand the people count, their behavior inside the premises and it also help them identify several problems that their customers might be facing during their customer journey.
The people counting system also offers a variety of features that help businesses in better resource management and planning. A modern people counting system is integrated with the CCTV cameras and doesn’t require dedicated hardware devices and sensors which not only minimize the initial cost but also reduce the operational and maintenance expense.
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The AI based smart software engine not just only provide people count, but it can also monitor the entire customer journey, customer flow and their behavior along with in-depth demographic data and much more. Here are some key benefits of a modern AI based people counting system:
- The people counting system help measuring the people count and their movement across the premises. It provide a detailed heat map which help businesses identifying the areas where the customers and visitors are spending their time the most.
- The businesses can also use the data from people counting system to measure the performance of their marketing efforts. For example, if a new digital signage is installed, the heat map can highlight how many people stood by it and the dwell time module will also provide the time each visitor spend in front of the digital signage or a video wall.
- Retail businesses can utilize people counting to understand if their inventory is arranged in the most effective way, and they can also measure the effects of different efforts and strategies by comparing it the direct sales and customer churn rate.
- The shopping malls can utilize the people counting system to effectively arrange different stores in an order to maximize the visibility which directly impact on the sales of individual store. Furthermore the shopping malls can quote premium rents to the stores at maximum traffic flowing points.
- The businesses can effectively monitor and track employees’ movement throughout the premises which help them effectively manage employees. The real-time data allow managers to effectively deploy resources at high traffic places to prevent bottlenecks.
- The people counting system can be integrated with the central information center or POS system/sales system which help businesses directly relate the footfall with the sales. Further this also help them understand the churn rate and its causes.
- The people counting system is also very helpful in crowed prevention and queue management. The data help management understand how customers are flowing and identify the bottlenecks which can be addressed to maximize the customer flow and to improve customer experience.
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Conclusion
Every technology is advancing day by day. Our reliance on technology is reached to a point where it becomes almost impossible for us to imagine our lives without the technology. Whether it is work or personal life, we are heavily utilizing various technologies to improve everything. The people counting systems are not so different, starting from a person sitting at the entrance counting people manually and then becoming a highly sophisticated AI based intelligent system the transition spans on decades. The AI and intelligent algorithms are not just improving the efficiency but the accuracy also.
The modern people counting system in 2022 is designed on AI based technology and highly intelligent image processing software. Which enables it to integrate with the CCTV systems and extract valuable business intelligence data from the video feeds in real-time. In this blog we have covered several popular people counting system and methods of their time, however, the AI based people counting system dominates them all. Whether it is its functional capabilities and intelligence or whether it is the cost and maintenance the CCTV based people counting system is way too superior to any other predecessor.
The businesses can gather extremely crucial analytical data using a CCTV based people counting system which can help them improving customer experience, their resource management strategies and it can also help them improve their marketing strategies. RSI Concepts is a leading People Counter System provider in Dubai, UAE.
If you want to learn more about the system or if you want us to help you deploy a tailor-made people counting system at your premises. Please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.
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