PATH ANALYTICS TRACKING METHODS IN TECHNOLOGY COMPARISON
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
AN OVERVIEW OF ALL RELEVANT TECHNOLOGIES FOR VISITOR TRACKING
3D SENSOR
3D sensors capture stereoscopic images, analyze them directly on the sensor and detect people as well as their movements. By connecting several sensors, thousands of square meters can be covered and walking paths of people can be detected continuously.
LIDAR (TOF)
Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a radar-related method for optical distance measurement based on laser beams. It measures the time required for a laser beam to return from an object to the source (time of flight) and determine the distance from it
WIFI TRACKING
WiFi-enabled devices are constantly searching for available WiFi networks. They regularly send so-called probe requests, which are tracked by WiFi signal receivers. From the transmitted signal strength, a coarse position in the defined space can be determined by triangulation of several signals.
BLUETOOTH & BEACONS
With passive Bluetooth tracking, gateways are permanently installed in the detection area. These detect the signals of certain Bluetooth devices, whereby a position determination is possible. In active tracking, permanently installed beacons emit a signal, e.g. can be received by smartphone apps.
ULTRA-WIDEBAND (TOF)
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a type of short-range radio communication that, unlike Bluetooth and WiFi, is not based on signal strength analysis but on the acquisition of time of flight between transmitter and receiver.
TECHNOLOGIES IN DETAIL
3D-SENSOR
STEREOSCOPIC PEOPLE COUNTER WITH MULTI-SENSOR FUNCTION
3D sensors distinguish between people and objects and enable person-to-person tracking to the nearest centimeter and second. The walkways of people can be recorded contiguously on thousands of square meters. An analysis of stereoscopic video images takes place directly on the sensor. Only anonymized motion and coordinate data are transmitted by the sensor. Image or video material is not transferred. The 3D sensors are therefore 100% DSGVO-compliant and inherently anonymous.
The data transfer of the 3D sensors is via LAN, the power supply via PoE over the same connection. All movement data is transmitted in real time. By connecting several sensors together to form a multi-sensor, you can cover any size of surface. The largest tracking project worldwide covers an area of approx. 12,000m² with 400 connected 3D sensors.
LIDAR (TOF)
LASER, TIME OF FLIGHT
Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a radar-related method for optical distance measurement based on laser beams. It measures the time required for a laser beam to return from an object to the source (time of flight). The sensor emits permanent laser beams, which are reflected by all objects in the area. Over the measured time required for the laser beams to return to the source, a distance is calculated for each refection point. This results in a point cloud, which depicts the outlines of the objects. About pattern recognition in the point cloud people are now detected and tracked their movement - similar to the 3D sensor.
Lidar is a technology that comes very close to the 3D sensors in terms of their features. The technology is also accurate to the second and centimeter. An elementary advantage of the technology is that there are no optical lenses. Real images are not only not transferred (as with the 3D sensor) but not even recorded. Lidar technology is therefore also 100% DSGVO compliant. Lidar is a promising technology for path analytics, but it still lacks market evidence.
WIFI TRACKING
WIFI TRACKING VIA SIGNAL STRENGTHS
WiFi tracking uses WiFi trackers installed in the room to record the signal strength of all clients in the environment (smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.). These devices do not have to be connected to a WiFi. It is sufficient if these devices have activated the WiFi function. You are then constantly looking for available WiFi networks and send out so-called probe requests, which includes the unique MAC address of the device. These probe requests are captured by the WiFi trackers. Using signal strength (RSSI), triangulation across multiple WiFi trackers can roughly locate a device.
A problem with this technology is that objects, walls or shelves affect signal strength and thus affect localization to have. In addition, a device only sends the probe requests when the WLAN is switched on and in very different cycles. The time interval is not definable and varies between 30 seconds and 20 minutes. A seized capture of a device is not guaranteed. The advantage of the technology lies in the fact that the tracking is passive. This means that people do not need to be informed that they are being tracked. However, there must be an indication as to how the tracking can be bypassed (optout). Data protection law is the WiFi tracking in a kind of “gray area“.
BLUETOOTH & BEACONS
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE BLUETOOTH TRACKING
With “passive“ Bluetooth tracking, Bluetooth receivers (BLE gateways) are installed in the room. The objects to be tracked, e.g. a shopping cart, each equipped with a beacon constantly in the Bluetooth frequency band sends a signal to the Bluetooth receiver. The BLE gateway reacts to these permanently stored beacon IDs and uses signal strength (RSSI) to triangulate a position of the object in the room. The advantage of the technology compared to the related WiFi tracking is that the time interval between beacon signals can be set. Time beacons can therefore be detected constantly. However, the problem of structural obstacles that influence the signal strengths and thus the positioning also exists here. Another problem of the technology is that it does not detect and track people per se, but beacons, e.g. attached to a shopping cart. Persons who are not in direct contact with a beacon will not be detected accordingly.
In “active“ Bluetooth tracking, in the building, e.g. in the ceiling, several beacons installed, which actively and permanently send their signal. The recipients serve as appropriately programmed marketing apps that must be installed on a customer's smartphone. When entering a shop, for example, vouchers or discount promotions can be pushed onto the customer's smartphone. A tracking and tracking of the customer is thus theoretically possible. However, only people who have an app installed will be tracked. The detection rate of 2-3% is clearly too low to achieve a meaningful measurement with this technology.
ULTRA-WIDEBAND (TOF)
ULTRA-WIDE-BAND, TIME OF FLIGHT
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a type of short-range radio communication that, unlike Bluetooth and WiFi, is not based on signal strength analysis but on time-of-flight (“time of flight“) detection between transmitter and receiver. Similar to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tracking, UWB gateways are installed in the room and tagged to tracking objects. The travel time measurement between gateway and tag is followed by a distance determination. Trangulation across multiple gateways determines the position of an object to a few tens of centimeters. Localization is much more accurate than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth tracking. The disadvantage of the technology compared to Bluetooth tracking is the necessary line of sight between transmitter and receiver. The problem that people are not detected and persecuted, but tags, e.g. attached to a shopping cart exits here as well (analogous to Bluetooth tracking).
COMPARISON CRITERIA
AN OVERVIEW OF RELEVANT COMPARISON CRITERIA FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES
TRACKING METHOD
Who or what is tracked? Are people detected or only certain devices/tags? Does a person have to fulfill preconditions in order to be tracked at all?
DETERMINATION OF POSITION
How exactly can the position of a person/object be determined? Is the position calculated approximately (triangulation) or actually measured?
DATA PROTECTION
Is the technology GDPR-compliant? Is the measurement anonymous? Does the tracked customer have to be alerted to the measurement or is even a consent necessary?
COLLECTION RATE
What percentage of actual visitors/customers are considered by the technology and can be tracked?
LATENCY
How often is the position of a person tracked? Does a reliable measuring interval exist? Is there latency due to “black holes“?
RETURNING VISITORS
Does the technology allow the detection of recurring people in the store? Can a regular customer quota be determined over time?
MARKET PROOF
Has the technology been extensively tested and is it already established in the market? Do meaningful case studies exist that prove the suitability of the technology?
COMPARISON MATRIX
