The TVS100 is a member of SICK’s “People Counter” product family. The detection of persons takes place using a 3D measuring camera system, whereby the field of view is illuminated with an infrared LED light source. The system operates considerably more accurately than conventional counting solutions thanks to its measurement and evaluation capabilities. This measurement sensor for counting visitors is ideally suited for use in shopping centres, large furniture stores or for measurements in the city marketing segment.
The TVS100 People Counter consists of a camera system that measures the distance between the camera and object without contact, on the basis of individual pixels. The internal light source (infrared light) illuminates the objects in the camera’s field of view, which is divided into two areas – allowing evaluation of the direction of movement of one or more persons. Regardless of the size and geometry of an area, room or passage, the TVS100 can be adapted to any spatial structure, e.g. pillars or electronic goods security gates. Image processing uses the distance and image information to detect people moving within the camera’s field of view. A person passing through the light curtain leads to an immediate change in the time-of-flight of the emitted light pulse. The person is counted. Several people – even of differing sizes – walking through the monitored area together are reliably detected and counted. From this information, the evaluation unit determines the flows of persons in terms of direction and numbers. With detection from above, and with its internal image processing, the TVS100 can simultaneously detect and count several persons in the counting area (max. 80 per second) walking side-by-side or behind one another in differing directions of movement. The device offers one serial data interface and an Ethernet interface as well as two digital switching outputs (active low). The TVS100 is accommodated in a robust metal housing. Electrical connection takes place via three M12 round plug connectors.
Can be installed almost anywhere
The maintenance-free TVS100 offers almost no restrictions regarding installation. The system can be installed beyond the path of pedestrians and out-of-reach of any access, and is thus protected from damage or tampering.
Comfortable downstream evaluation of the measurement results clearly illustrates points of interest and the purchasing behaviour of individual target groups within the clientele, and permits the effective improvement of shopping concepts – considerably increasing earnings, because the TVS100 creates transparency.
Those responsible for city marketing or for shopping centres want to measure the success of promotional activities on the basis of the number of visitors; chains of stores compare the visitor flows at their various branches (in addition to the sales achieved by each one); personnel requirement planning can be carried out on the basis of visitor numbers rather than sales and, after a well-founded site analysis, the rents of local shops can be evaluated. The time potential customers spend lingering can form the basis, for example, for determining the attractiveness of window displays or advertisements.
When several operators of public transport systems combine to form an alliance, the earnings and costs incurred by each one can be fairly allocated on the basis of passenger numbers. Moreover, the capacity utilisation of vehicles can be determined and optimised on the basis of such data in order to become more successful in competition with other providers of transport services.
Managers are having to meet tougher requirements regarding compliance with maximum permissible numbers of people in buildings, not least since the fire disasters at Düsseldorf Airport and numerous discotheques. Buildings with advanced safety systems are dynamically evacuated should danger arise so that, for example, the lifts do not automatically move to the ground floor, but stop on the first floor if the ground floor is on fire, or rise to the roof level. It is important to prevent the presence of too many people in individual fire sections in order to ensure that evacuation plans can be implemented during emergencies. Official approval for use of a building with public access sometimes depends on proving compliance with regulations regarding areas where people congregate.
Managers of events or areas where people congregate must not exceed the approved number of visitors. A people-counting system can be used to continuously monitor the number of persons present in a room and, if necessary, open so-called overflow areas to accept further visitors.
These are just a few examples of where the use of an automatic people-counting system increases safety in buildings. If there is an emergency, users who can provide well-founded data on the capacity utilisation of their building will be in a better position when clarifying questions of liability than those who can only offer speculative values. Another very important point: the relationship between the numbers of visitors and existing safety measures, such as escape routes, can be constantly monitored and improved over the long term.
Motto: measurement means monitoring. Monitoring means being able to introduce controlled measures when necessary.
For the organisers of events it is also of interest to know the numbers of visitors or participants at any particular point in time, so that they can reach conclusions on the programme offered or the sequence and timing of events. This is useful, for example, when meetings are taking place simultaneously without the binding registration of those attending, so that it is difficult to estimate how many participants will attend the topics on offer – rooms can become overfilled leading to the replacement of smaller rooms by larger ones. With automatic detection of the number of persons, this can be monitored centrally in one location and action undertaken if necessary. After completion of the event, statistics on visitor numbers and their lengths of attendance can be created with appropriate software.
The TVS100 as ecologist and economist
Air conditioning devices can also exploit visitor numbers as a control value to adapt the particular temperature to the number of persons. This permits a sustainable saving of energy, and thus both cost-cutting and environmental protection.
Innovative people-counting for marketing support and for improved building automation: one can count on the TVS100 People Counter, the 3D measuring camera system.
