PEOPLE COUNTING

What are people counters?

Simply put, people counters are electronic systems that utilize readers mounted at entrances to count people as they walk into a facility or zone. Our VisiCount software then separates the counts by entrance and by time, adding in variables such as sales transactions, daily special events, weather conditions, and staffing hours. With this key data, a full suite of business intelligence reports are generated, enabling store owners and business managers to make informed business decisions.

Sensor Key


Overhead People
Counting Sensors

Horizontal Wired /
Wireless People
Counting Sensors

Data Controllers /
Accessories


Uni-Directional
Sensors


Bi-Directional
Sensors


Wired Sensors


Wireless Sensors


Network Connectivity
Required


VisiCount Software
Required


Data Controller
Required

Which type of traffic counter is best for you?

The following questions are designed to help determine the best traffic counting solution based on the unique needs of your business:

How is your entrance set up? Does it consist of swing doors or is it an open entrance?

  • If you have an open entrance, horizontal counting can generally be less accurate because multiple people can block each other from being counted by the horizontal door counter. Also, horizontal counting requires that the door only swings out, since in-swinging doors will block the beam from detection.

How wide is your entrance?

  • The wider the entrance, or the more group traffic you have, the less accurate horizontal counting will be. What is your ceiling height and ceiling construction? If you are looking at horizontal counting sensors, they will work at up to about 15 feet of entrance width — and are only recommended at this width if you don’t have much group traffic. If you are considering an overhead sensor, you will need one sensor for every 11 feet of entrance width, depending on your ceiling height. And, with overhead door sensors, you will need network connections to the sensor in the ceiling at the entrance.

Do you want to capture traffic counts per day, or do you require shorter intervals?

  • If you need traffic counts in the per-hour range, consider using one of the bi-directional sensors (which includes all of the overhead sensors and the horizontal OmniCounter). Since the sensor captures ins and outs, your hourly traffic counting results will match up closer to the actual traffic trends throughout the day.

Do people typically browse around in your entranceway?

  • If they do, an overhead video people counting sensor is suggested because it can handle detection even when people are standing still.

Do you have a 110V power outlet available at the entrance?

  • This will be essential if you want to use the wired capability of the Z-Series horizontal sensors or the Overhead Wireless Thermal Sensor.

Choose Hardware

Traffic Counter Types


Overhead vs. Horizontal (beam-type)
Like the names suggest, Overhead people counting sensors are mounted in the ceiling, and Horizontal (beam-type) sensors mount on both sides of a doorway.


Wired vs. Wireless
All Overhead sensors will require wired network connections. All of our Horizontal people counter sensors can be wireless (battery-powered), and our Z-Series can be either wired or wireless.


Bi-Directional vs. Uni-Directional
With many of our people counting systems, we can tell whether a person walked IN or OUT (which is called Bi-Directional counting). All of our Overhead Sensors, and the Horizontal OmniCounter, have this Directional Counting capability. The rest of our Horizontal Sensors are Uni-Directional Counters, meaning that they don’t distinguish IN from OUT counts, and so the total traffic counts by hour are divided by two to determine the number of visitors.