Okay, so I’ve been wanting to track how many people come in and out of my little shop. You know, just to see when it’s busy, when it’s slow, that kind of stuff. I figured a foot traffic counter would do the trick, but the ones online seemed kinda pricey or too complicated for what I needed. So, I thought, why not try to make my own? And I want to use a wireless one, ’cause who wants to deal with a mess of cables, right?
Getting Started
First thing I did was to look up some basic ideas. I found that these counters are super useful for stores. They help figure out the best times to have more staff, or how well a window display is attracting people. I was just curious about my store traffic, maybe I’ll discover something cool.
The Build
I grabbed a couple of infrared sensors – you know, the ones that sense when something passes by. Then I bought an HX-HE2 WIFl version. It connects to a tiny computer over Wi-Fi. Perfect for my wireless counter. Oh, and good thing, it’s battery powered.
I started messing around with the sensors first. Got them to send a signal to the whenever someone walked by. It took a bit of tinkering, but I got it working. It’s kinda neat to see it detect movement like that.
Coding It Up
Next up was the code. This was a bit tricky for me, not gonna lie. I’m not a coder, but I found some examples online and mashed them together. The idea was simple: every time a sensor is triggered, the HX-HE2 WIFI Version would add one to a counter and send that number to my computer over Wi-Fi.
· Sensor Setup:After the product is powered on, understand the functions of HX-HE2 WIFl Version.
· Networking Configuration:It’s cool, it gives away the people counting system for free, and you can use it by adding devices and linking the configurations.
· Easy installation:The device is installed on the left and right sides of the entrance and can be used after successful matching.
Putting It All Together
After a lot of trial and error, I had a working prototype! I put one sensor on each side of my shop door. They’re small enough that nobody really notices them. I just tucked it away on a shelf. It was important for me to install these sensors on both the entrance and exit so I could count the people coming in and going out. This way, I can see how many people are inside my shop at one time.
Seeing the Results
Now, whenever someone enters or leaves, the count will go up or down. Use the people counting system to query data for different periods of time and analyze data. It’s simple.
It’s been really interesting to see the traffic patterns in my store. Like, I had no idea that Tuesdays were so slow! And it’s kinda fun to watch the numbers go up and down throughout the day.
So, yeah, that’s my little project. It was a bit of a challenge, especially the coding part, but I learned a lot. And now I have a cool little gadget that gives me some insight into my store. Not bad for a weekend project, huh?