If you walk into a modern building of any kind—an office, shopping mall, airport, or even a hospital—out of sight and sound, you may be surrounded by technology maneuvering behind the scenes. One of these untold yet incredibly powerful technology tools to increase efficiency in these types of spaces is people counting technology.
At surface level (and it sounds simple enough), it may just be a matter of counting how many people enter and leave a building. However, in regards to smart buildings, this information is a key that opens a multitude of doors. Let's unpack what people counting solutions are, why they are important, and how they are changing the way we manage spaces.
What Exactly is People Counting in Smart Buildings?
At its simplest, people counting is exactly what it sounds like—understanding how many people are entering, exiting, or moving around a building. But people counting for smart buildings goes beyond just tracking the number of entry counts or guessing how may people simply come and go through the front door.
Smart buildings have a variety of technology options available for counting people including the following:
- AI-enabled video cameras
- Thermal sensors and infrared sensors
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth trackers
- 3D vision sensors
All of this data is collected in real time and linked to systems to help building managers make better operational decisions about items such as: lighting and air conditioning; cleaning and safety protocols.
Why Should Smart Buildings Count People?
We have space, energy, and safety on our mind today. Here is how people counting supports all three:
1. Better Space Utilization
Perhaps the most difficult thing to understand about large buildings is how the space is being used. Are meeting rooms empty? Are collaborative work areas getting overcrowded? People counting gives you the real answer to those questions so you can...
Reassign unused rooms
Stop overbooking shared spaces
Design better spaces
As we see in hybrid work scenarios, insights such as this are priceless.
2. Save Energy Without Compromising Comfort
Imagine if the lights and air conditioning were able to be turned on only when someone was actually in the room? Amazing, right?
This is exactly what people counting provides. When you know which space is in use, a smart building can change the lighting, heating, and cooling automatically to avoid wasting energy and reduce your utility bills.
3. Safety of All
In an emergency, having an accurate headcount of people in a building - and where they are located - can prove vital. Think about it. In a fire, earthquake, or security incident, the technology provides benefit to:
Planning evacuations safely
Assisting first responders
Identifying who is not evacuated.
The best part? It’s not just about convenience, but saving lives.
4. Smarter Maintenance and Cleaning
Have you ever entered a spotless conference room that hasn’t been used all day? Or a filthy lobby at a hotel that is constantly busy?
People Counting can help solve this. The cleaning team can visit high-traffic areas more frequently, while areas that are seldom used can be cleaned less frequently. It is effective, efficient, cost-effective, and provides a cleaner experience for everyone.
Real-life examples: Where is it being used?
Here are examples of some industries using people counting:
🏢Corporate Offices
Monitor workspace occupancy
Enable hot-desking or flexible seating
Make more informed decisions regarding office particulars
🏥 Hospitals and Clinics
Monitor how busy waiting rooms are and
Manage access to restricted zones
Improve cleanliness and hygiene scheduling.
🛍️ Shopping Malls and Retail Stores
Monitor foot traffic
Identify the most frequented areas
Adjust staffing based on peak times
✈️ Airports and Transportation Hubs
Monitor passenger flow
Reduce congestion
Improve the traveler experience with real-time feed of information.
What are the technologies that service, or power, these solutions?
People counting systems have various capabilities. Here are some technologies doing the heavy lifting:
AI Video Analytics - Smart cameras can see and accurately see people, even in crowds.
FLIR Infrared & Thermal Sensors: These sensors are great where the light is minimal or areas where visible cameras are not preferable.
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Tracking: Anonymous signals from a smartphone can be used to help map location movements.
3D Sensors: 3D Sensors provides in-depth data in busy or complex environments.
Why it Matters More Than Ever
In the post COVID-19 world, managers of shared, multi-user spaces need to utilize committee methods for managing space as well as the safety of those occupying them. People counting solutions can help organizations:
Decrease operational overhead
Enhance occupant comfort
Allow spaces to respond and adapt
Provide throughlines to meet sustainability and green building goals
A Smarter Way Forward with Nextbrain
Nextbrain has an intimate understanding of how important it is for buildings in the modern era to be intelligent and intuitive. Our AI-enabled people counting solutions provide accurate data, real-time alerts, and actionable insights all while respecting the privacy of your occupants and works with your current systems.
Whether you're a busy corporate tower executive, facilities manager, or multi-location retailer, our solutions provide capable, efficient data that support smarter decision-making, resulting in effective places of work and leisure for your occupants.
Final Tips
You may think that people counting capabilities might not be an important part of a smart building, yet it is key to achieving the maximum benefits in creating smarter, safer, and more sustainable spaces. Whether it is improved energy optimization, better management of foot traffic, and assuring safety, it is a key feature in the smart building toolkit.
Ready to elevate your building?
Contact Nextbrain today to find out more about how people counting capabilities could work for you.
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