The power of thermal sensing in people occupancy counting
In the pursuit of sustainable and energy-efficient solutions, thermal occupancy sensors have emerged as valuable tools to optimize space utilization, managing lighting and heating systems. These sensors offer distinct advantages that contribute to both environmental conservation and cost savings.
This article will explore the workings of thermal occupancy sensors, showcase their advantages, and identify the optimal use cases for this cutting-edge technology.
Understanding thermal people counting technology
How it works
Thermal people occupancy counters leverage advanced sensor technology to detect and count individuals within a given space. They rely on infrared technology to detect changes in temperature and movement within a given space to capture anonymous heat source image data. This non-intrusive and GDPR-compliant approach ensures privacy while delivering accurate occupancy data.
Introducing Terabee People Occupancy Counting
The recently launched Terabee People Occupancy counter provides accurate multi-zone occupancy insights to maximize the management of meeting rooms through to large spaces. Available in PoE and LoRa versions, the People Occupancy Counting offers you ease-of-installation, robustness, and versatility, whether you need a tidy, streamlined wired solution or a flexible and far-reaching wireless one.
Immediate benefits
Passive sensing
These sensors do not emit any signals. Instead they passively collect data by detecting heat emitted from objects. This translates into a low maintenance and low power consumption device with consistent performance over time, less interference and simpler installation.
Real-time monitoring
Terabee People Occupancy Counting offers real-time occupancy detection with the capture of seven snapshots per second, enabling immediate actions like turning lights on or off or adjusting the temperature via the HVAC system. Immediate energy savings, reduced energy consumption costs and a more comfortable, customized environment based on actual occupancy data are benefits that real-time data brings to your building or office space.
Different from Non-GDPR compliant technologies
Unlike non-GDPR compliant technologies that may rely on facial recognition or other intrusive methods, thermal people counters prioritize privacy. By solely focusing on thermal signatures, these counters avoid capturing personally identifiable information (PII). This ensures compliance with privacy regulations and also fosters a more transparent and ethical approach to space occupancy counting.
Ideal use cases
Terabee People Occupancy Counting is ideal in office space and commercial building management for the following use cases, to name a few.
Space management
For meeting and conference room management, the sensors can indicate if a meeting room is in use and by how many people, helping with room booking systems. This also helps users to size their room needs perfectly, for example, to avoid large rooms being used by only two people.
In the evolving landscape of hybrid workspaces, office building managers benefit from the dynamic data provided by this device. They can monitor occupancy levels on a live dashboard, enabling proactive decision-making. Real-time occupancy insights facilitate efficient space allocation, helping organizations adapt to changing work patterns and enhance workplace productivity.
Space optimization
Data can be used to inform the building tenant or owner on the utilisation of the building, desk areas versus shared spaces, co-working spaces, the most popular areas and the balance between home working and office use. This data enables informed decision-making to improve key metrics such as return on investment, space performance and employee or user experience.
Wide area coverage
Terabee thermal occupancy sensors can cover a large area, making it efficient for monitoring spaces like auditoriums or open-plan offices. Devices can be put side by side without any crosstalk risk. The monitored space can be split in up to eight areas of interest which can bring cost savings on installation and maintenance.
Low-light operation
These sensors can operate in low-light conditions or in complete darkness, making them a versatile option for a wide range of settings and deployment opportunities.
High human recognition rate
Due to their capacity to detect heat signatures rather than motion, Terabee People Occupancy Counting device reaches a high 98-99% recognition rate in working spaces.
Energy management
HVAC systems, lighting and other utilities can be controlled based on occupancy data, thereby reducing energy consumption and costs. Going a step further, People Occupancy Counting has a 0-10 V analog output signal that provides a voltage proportional to room occupancy, allowing a seamless interface with most common Building Management Systems.
Accuracy in varied environments
The thermal infrared sensors employed by this device are adept at overcoming environmental challenges. Whether a space is dimly lit, well-lit, or even in complete darkness, the counters consistently deliver accurate occupancy data. This adaptability makes them versatile tools for a range of commercial environments.
People Occupancy Counter key features
- Large floor coverage (i.e. 64 m2 coverage from 2.4 m installation height)
- Multiple regions of interest (up to 8) to monitor/exclude specific areas
- GDPR compliance by design, unlike RGB cameras
- High human recognition rate via thermal signatures, reaching 98%+ accuracy
- Platform agnostic, send data to any third-party server. No recurring fee
- Direct analog output signal (0-10 V) proportional to room occupancy
- No battery ensures less maintenance, improved reliability and more uptime
- Low-light and full darkness operation
- Passive sensing = low power consumption, less interference
