Footfall Tracking: Choosing the Right Technology for Your Business

Role of Footfall trackers: How it has transformed the way businesses operate

When it comes to a business owner you must have wondered the count of customers walking through your door daily. Footfall tracking systems have a major role to play in the business infrastructure. As per the latest research supported by SPER Market Research, it can be stated that the global people counting system market is estimated to reach USD 3.52 billion by 2032 having a CAGR of 12.43%. Nowadays, market players are improving their services and products to meet the current demand of customers. Public counters have major applications across different industry verticals. It can track the number of people who visit a specific location.

People Counting system: What are people counters & why are they significant

Providing actionable data insights, people counters enable business managers to make informed decisions and help businesses in the retail & hospitality industries. The system is highly capable of tracking the overall operations involved within a business infrastructure.

Footfall counting technologies are an effective tool for businesses seeking to gain insights into their customer data & optimize operations. In this blogpost, we are going to lay emphasis on the varied aspects of people counting technology and how it has helped businesses to keep track of the overall footfall.

CCTV Surveillance

CCTV cameras can easily track movement of people by harnessing computer vision algorithms for processing camera footage. Having this technology businesses can monitor different people entering into the premises under surveillance. CCTV is existent in businesses & premises of all kinds however due to lack of optimization for people counting, it can lead to restrictions such as inefficient monitoring and lack of accurate results. In order to cover these loopholes, people counting technology is the most accurate solution offering footfall monitoring, affordable and effective accuracy.

Thermal counters

Analyzing a person’s body temperature & heat, thermal counters can seamlessly measure foot traffic. By creating images using infrared radiation. These types of sensors are installed across entrances for detecting and counting human body temperatures. They are integrated with footfall tracking software systems to curate effective results delivering actionable insights analyzing video data. It provides highly accurate data in real time.

Time of Flight counters (ToF)

ToF sensors are considered as a relevant people counting technology that easily detects & counts the huge number of people entering the premises. It uses ultrasound and infrared to determine the distance between sensor and object. ToF can operate in darkness and is impacted by sunlight. They perform well in low resolution and are privacy-friendly however, it requires multiple sensors for encompassing a large area. It can be more expensive than other types of sensors.

Beam counter sensors

Beam counters are considered as an advanced technology that have the potential to detect as well as count people passing through a specified area by harnessing infrared beams. They are typically mounted above doorways where people are most likely to pass by. Beam counter sensors are suitable for businesses that have a high foot traffic comprising supermarkets, shopping malls, airports, retail stores and others. This type of footfall tracking technology is highly recommended for businesses that have different types of safety concerns.

WiFi people counters

WiFi enabled people counters use WiFi network for counting individuals. It can easily detect smartphones searching for a WiFi People Counting System network enabling them to estimate foot traffic. WiFi sensors can administer information regarding customer behavior like dwelling times & return customers. Having a more critical concern which can offer WiFi sensors. It can keep track of numbers, have a wide coverage and is quite easy to use.

3D Stereo camera counters

As an advanced technology, active stereo camera counters can easily mimic human vision. It incorporates an embellished module that projects onto the monitored area enabling it to generate insightful information even in darkness. This enables businesses to leverage the usefulness of 3D stereo vision in lighting conditions. The combined images are processed by capturing sensors and creating depth maps which offer accurate people counting solutions. Sensors are integrated with people counting software which enables the businesses to have a clear view of the total number of people entering or exiting the premises.

For any organization aiming to achieve a complete insight on the footfall analysis then active stereo camera is the best option. It offers foot traffic count, high accuracy, reliability, coverage and many more.

AI counter systems

AI is an effective technology of the 21st century that utilizes advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze data. It results in making informed decisions and can be used to analyze data from CCTV cameras and others. Leveraging AI algorithms involves computer vision and machine learning for analyzing images and identifying people.

Face detection is one of the beneficial features of active appearance models. AI people counters have the potential to provide highly accurate data on crowd detection, people counting in vastly crowded areas, and offering insights into demographics and dwelling times. In addition to their flexibility, they can be integrated with other systems like POS systems and security cameras, and access control systems.

People counting and footfall tracking systems can administer high levels of flexibility, accuracy, and others for businesses. AI systems operate with advanced algorithms for delivering actionable insights leveraging video data. AI-enabled systems can easily capture images of individuals that can raise privacy concerns in different countries.

How to choose the right technology suiting your business?

For every business, prior to selecting a technology it is relevant to weigh the pros and cons. To have a complete idea of your requirement and choosing the right tech that suits your business is the main agenda. Every technology comes with certain advantages and limitations which makes it valuable to determine the suitable one for your business. The primary objective of the system is to have complete data on the footfall. Right from thermal cameras to 3D stereo vision, from beam counters to WiFi-based people counting systems, every system comes with unique features. They serve as a valuable tool for businesses to acquire insights into their customer data and optimize operations.

Conclusion

Businesses can have a vast array of options to select and optimize their traffic. In order to determine the best solution, it is relevant to carefully assess distinct Footfall Counter Devices & technologies and specific business requirements. One can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, make data-driven decisions and optimize operations having the right technology in place.