According to Wikipedia [1] [2], the 3D people counter with WiFi or Bluetooth (BLE) counting represents the fourth generation counter. WiFi counting provides additional metrics to businesses that may not be achievable with other technologies. The primary WiFi and Bluetooth counting metrics are:
- Outside Traffic : The number of passersby on the street outside the store.
- Dwell Time : The average duration of visitors’ stay on the premises.
- Path Map : The percentage of visitors traveling from Area A to Area B and from Area A to Area C, for example.
How does it Work?
As most people carry a smartphone, each device periodically transmits its unique MAC code to search for potential WiFi hotspots. FootfallCam 3D Pro2 can collect all these publicly accessible WiFi beacons without requiring the smart devices to connect to it.
MAC Code Randomisation
As a response to privacy concerns, the latest versions of iOS and Android mobile operating systems have introduced MAC address randomisation – a necessary and vital function for enhancing the protection of personal data.
It’s important to note that the FootfallCam Pro2 device doesn’t track specific individual users. Instead, it aggregates MAC addresses into high-level metrics, providing businesses with insights into overall visitors’ behaviors on an hourly and daily basis.
Statistical Sampling
Statistical sampling, widely used in areas like TV ratings, involves surveying around 500 people to estimate viewership of a show. Similarly, FootfallCam 3D Pro2 uses this method with WiFi and BLE beacons to provide accurate high-level metrics.
As a 3D people counter, 3D Pro2 precisely counts individuals who have walked under the pathway, offering a deterministic measure. This measure helps normalise statistical sampling estimates from WiFi/BLE data.
Normalisation serves as a benchmark for users to calibrate and apply offsets, aligning WiFi and BLE measures with the ground truth.
With each device transmitting a unique MAC address, double counting is eliminated. This consistency in the statistical estimate provides a reliable trend line, facilitating the analysis of dynamic visitor behaviours.
Privacy
The FootfallCam 3D Pro2 device collects WiFi and BLE MAC addresses but does not upload them to our server. The unit aggregates raw MAC data into statistical metrics, ensuring no personally identifiable information is stored. Consequently, it complies with GDPR and other privacy standards. Additionally, end customers have the option to disable WiFi and BLE counting.
Unique Features of FootfallCam 3D Pro2
For the past six years, FootfallCam 3D Pro2 has been recognised as the sole people counter on the market offering the integrated functionalities of WiFi counting. WiFi and BLE counting yield supplementary metrics crucial for understanding visitor behaviours – features that align with the needs of most customers. This stands as a unique selling point for the FootfallCam 3D Pro2 people counting device. While other manufacturers may assert WiFi and BLE connectivity, it’s essential to request a demo to ensure they have the chipset and infrastructure to meet the requirements, as often, they lack these capabilities.
FAQs:
1. Can I disable the WiFi counting functionality in my 3D Pro2 device?
Yes, you can disable WiFi and BLE counting via the 3D Pro2 device settings page.
2.Some people carry more than one smart device, whilst others may carry none. How can we account for this?
After learning from billions of WiFi and BLE beacons, we have applied a scaling factor so that the metrics reflect the number of people, not the number of devices.
3.Some of the WiFi routers and printers are also transmitting the MAC code; would they count as a visitor?
The MAC address indicates the manufacturer and type of device. The 3D Pro2 people counter automatically excludes stationary devices that are present day and night.
References:
- “People Counter”. by Wikipedia.
- “People Counter Counting Technology: WiFi Counting”. by Wikipedia.