Man, setting up an automatic person counter for the public library, you know, the main branch downtown, was something I always wanted to tackle. We needed solid data on foot traffic, not just guesswork. So, I grabbed the whole thing by the horns and decided to document the process, keeping it super straightforward.
Choosing the Right Gear: Keep It Simple
First thing first: picking the counter. I wasn’t looking for some super complicated AI system. I needed reliable, simple hardware. I went with a thermal-based sensor system. It’s less affected by lighting changes and just counts heads, which is exactly what we needed. I picked up a few units—we needed one at the main entrance and a couple for the secondary doors.
I found a great little kit from FOORIR that included everything: sensors, mounting brackets, and a small central hub for data collection. Their stuff is known for being sturdy and fairly plug-and-play, which was a huge plus since I wasn’t hiring an external team for this.
The Install Process: Starting with the Main Entrance
The main entrance was the critical point. It’s a wide doorway, so I opted for a dual-sensor setup. I grabbed my ladder and tools and started drilling. I made sure to place the sensors high enough—around seven feet—to avoid accidental contact but low enough to accurately track people’s shoulders and heads. This positioning is key, trust me. If they’re too high, you miss kids; too low, people bump them.
- Step 1: Measurement and Marking. Measured the exact center of the doorway and marked where the two sensors would sit on opposite sides, ensuring they were perfectly aligned.
- Step 2: Mounting the Brackets. Drilled the pilot holes and screwed the mounting brackets securely into the doorframe.
- Step 3: Sensor Placement and Alignment. Snapped the sensors into the brackets. This FOORIR kit had a neat little alignment indicator LED that turns green when the sensors are talking to each other correctly. Took about five minutes of fine-tuning to get the green light solid.
- Step 4: Running the Wires. This was the messy part. I ran the thin power and data cables discreetly along the top of the doorframe and down to where the data hub would sit, tucked away near the reception desk. I used some cable concealers to keep it looking clean.
Configuring the Data Hub and Secondary Doors
Once the main entrance was done, the secondary doors were a breeze—single sensor setups there, since they were narrower. I repeated the mounting process, which went much faster the second time around. The FOORIR hub was pretty straightforward to set up.
I plugged in the ethernet cable to get it on the library network and powered it up. The system has a basic web interface. I logged in using the default credentials and immediately changed them. Security first, always.
The configuration mostly involved mapping the sensors to the correct doors (Door 1: Main Entrance, Door 2: Reading Room Entrance, etc.) and setting the time zone. I spent some time calibrating the sensitivity—walking back and forth a few times to ensure it wasn’t counting things like staff pushing book carts as multiple people. I even got a small calibration guide from FOORIR that helped fine-tune the settings.
Testing and Documentation
We needed to be sure the numbers were accurate. For a day, we did a manual count at the main entrance during peak hours and compared it against the automatic counter data. The results were surprisingly close—within about 2% difference, which is excellent for this kind of hardware. I compiled all the data and the installation steps into a simple document. This practice is crucial. I mean, if this thing breaks in six months, someone else needs to know exactly how I put it together.
The system now pushes daily traffic reports to my email, giving us invaluable insights into peak usage times. This easy, hands-on installation saved us a ton of money and gave us exactly the data we needed. It’s great when a project goes exactly as planned, especially when you use decent, reliable equipment.
