How Busy is the Bar? A Door Frame Sensor Will Tell You

Density is a sensor and app that measures establishment population data and shares it in real-time via the cloud

Charlie Stephens  - 30 july 2015
 
The densification of cities, or lack there of, is a hot topic right now. As our population grows, the demographic makeup of our cities will change, and the way we live will be affected. But there has been less talk about the crowding nature of the spaces within the places we live. That’s all starting to change thanks to Density, a small sensor that measures the real-time population of places like cafés, bars, gyms, and retail centers.

The device can be placed in storefront entrances to measure the inflow and outflow of people—giving business owners historical and real-time data of daily foot traffic. It acts as a break-beam sensor and does the job of a video monitor, but it is cheaper, more aesthetically pleasing, anonymous, and the data is more readily accessible.





The sensor is completely Internet-connected, and the data it collects can be accessed by the developer community, which gives rise to a whole new field of entrepreneurial startups.

Workfrom is a website that is beginning to aggregate the data across cities to notify remote workers of the least crowded places to get work done. This isn’t just beneficial to lesser known/popular cafés and workspaces, but it can also help larger business spread out business or reduce downtime.

Requested is a service that lets users request discounts from local businesses, and once a certain low-traffic threshold is reached, the company grants the lower price to customers.

What we see here see is that the proliferation of density information is a two-way street, benefitting both the installers of the sensor and the users.

In terms of the user experience, this takes place via the density app, in which prospective shoppers, diners, or fitness buffs can browse the list of businesses to see which places aren’t too busy.



One might say that this only diminishes the excitement of spontaneous nights out or encourages a society of introverts. But it’s highly doubtful that most users will be anti-socials. A place that’s bustling with people might just be what you want for that Friday or Saturday night, and Density will help you find it.

Prototypes are also being rolled out in gyms and workspaces on some Berkeley school campuses. With density data, students and workers should be able to better allocate their time for optimizing productivity. And with becoming more productive comes even more time for creativity and quality time with loved ones.

Data collection and analysis has become such an important part of business and city governance, but we seem to be reaching a critical point in this information ‘revolution.’ Applications like Density are realizing the human element of data and are paving the path for more seamless, enjoyable, and connected experiences.