A new technology developed by Junrui Liang and his team at ViPSN Ltd. promises to transform crowd monitoring without the drawbacks of traditional camera systems. Our prototype, dubbed the Smart Tile, is a battery-free device that uses quasi-static-toggling (QST) electromagnetic harvesters to reliably measure pedestrian traffic patterns. This innovation overcomes major privacy concerns and high deployment costs often associated with camera surveillance.
Liang wants to remind everyone how critical effective crowd monitoring can be—particularly in crowded urban environments. “Public safety accidents associated with large-scale pedestrian gatherings occur periodically across the globe, particularly in metropolises,” he stated. To address these challenges, the team designed a new, battery-free floor tile. This new, smarter solution tracks pedestrian movement in real-time.
Even better, the Smart Tile is just 15 millimeters thick. Even at the best case scenario, it can only figure out where a given traveler is headed with an egregiously high success rate of 97.4 percent. This combined tile also does a great job of tracking foot movement patterns. It unobtrusively measures the angle at which the heel, ball of foot, and toes contact the ground. In practice, the system quickly and accurately identifies these patterns even if someone is in motion. In controlled lab-like experiments, it has as high as a 92.6 percent success rate.
Yet, as successful as the Smart Tile may be working in a controlled environment, problems arise during heavy-traffic times. The majority of performance failures occur when traffic increases at a location dramatically. This crash tide can undermine their effectiveness in high-density urban environments. The device attained a remarkable overall efficacy rate of 94.8 percent during a field trial. Over 120 hours in a row, it quickly and reliably counted the number of people passing and tracked whether they were entering or exiting.
The technology works within a Bluetooth transmission range of 10 meters to ensure real-time data relay, while providing energy autonomy. The Smart Tile produces energy thanks to its electromagnetic harvesters. When squeezed or relaxed beyond a one-millimeter range, these energy harvesters induce a magnetic flux that generates a high-voltage pulse.
Liang said he was pleasantly surprised by the high accuracy rates obtained at all speeds and orientations. The results indicate that the Smart Tile provides a low-cost and practical alternative to conventional monitoring strategies. This innovation allows for more efficient and effective pedestrian traffic mitigation in dense spaces.
ViPSN Ltd. is always happy to support the promotion of this creative solution. It is a great, low-cost, easy-to-deploy option for municipalities and event organizers. This approach would save a lot of money and help reduce dependence on costly and privacy-invading camera networks.