People Counting Technology
The Problem: Buildings operated on assumptions
For decades, buildings have relied on motion-based occupancy detection, not actual human presence. Lighting, HVAC, and space planning decisions were triggered by movement, not by knowing how many people were present, where they were, or how spaces were truly used.
The result: Lights and HVAC running when no one is there, missed occupants sitting still in meeting rooms, inefficient space utilization, energy waste driven by guesswork.
From Motion Sensing to Presence Sensing
Traditional motion sensing (PIR, ultrasound, microwave) detects movement. They work well for turning lights on when someone walks into a room, but they cannot reliably determine wheter a space is still occupied once people stop moving.
Thermal Presence Sensing - People Counting (PC) goes far beyond motion detection by providing true presence awareness. Using advanced thermal sensing and embedded intelligence, it measures the actual number of people within a space by identifying when individuals enter and leave, maintaining an accurate occupancy count even when occupants are sitting still, working, or in meetings.
This creates a reliable foundation for automation, analytics, and decision-making across the building.
Technical: A Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor reads an energy value behind a Fresnel lens. When a warm body moves across different zones of the lens, the sensor detects a change in infrared energy and triggers a motion signal. A Thermal Array sensor measures infrared energy at every of its hundreds of pixels. These measurements form a low-resolution thermal image that enables the system to recognize human presence even when occupants remain stationary.
Privacy-First by Design
BubblyNet people counting uses a native low-resolution thermal sensor (28 × 15 IR pixels) that never captures images or personally identifiable information (PII).
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No cameras
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No facial recognition
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No identity tracking
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No stored imagery
What the sensor detects are heat patterns, not people — ensuring 100% privacy protection by architecture, not policy.
Eliminating False-Off Events
This is often the most noticeable improvement for occupants.
In the event of students reading quietly, employees working at computers, patients sleeping, these people often generate too little motion to keep a PIR sensor active.
Thermal Presence Sensing continues detecting them without requiring movement.
This higher precision unlocks a new class of building intelligence that motion sensors alone cannot deliver.
Energy, Sustainability, Safety, and Wellbeing
By knowing exactly how many people are present — and where — buildings can operate more efficiently and responsibly.
People counting supports:
- HVAC ventilation rates matched to actual occupancy
- Lighting levels adjusted to real usage
- Reduced energy waste per occupied hour
- Accurate headcounts for emergency response
- Compliance with occupancy limits and safety regulations
The result is lower energy consumption, improved safety, and healthier indoor environments.
EdgeCore: Real-Time Decisions at the Building
With BubblyNet EdgeCore, people counting becomes an on-premises control signal, not just a data point.
EdgeCore enables:
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Immediate lighting and HVAC responses based on real occupancy
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Dynamic ventilation control tied to occupant count
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Offline operation — no cloud dependency for critical actions
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Reliable execution of automation even during network outages
Occupancy intelligence is processed inside the building, where speed, reliability, and resilience matter most.
CloudCore: From Occupancy to Insight
While EdgeCore handles real-time decisions, CloudCore transforms people counting data into long-term intelligence.
CloudCore analytics provide:
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Space utilization trends;
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Peak vs idle usage analysis;
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Occupied-hours vs energy consumption;
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Portfolio-wide insights across floors, buildings, and sites.
This enables organizations to move from reactive control to strategic optimization.
Real-World Applications
People counting paired with BubblyNet’s Edge-to-Cloud platform enables measurable outcomes across industries:
Smart Offices
Optimize meeting rooms, desk usage, and indoor air quality with real occupancy data.
Retail Spaces
Analyze foot traffic, improve layouts, and align staffing with customer flow.
Healthcare Facilities
Monitor patient movement, manage waiting areas, and support safety compliance.
Public Transportation & Public Spaces
Track passenger density, improve scheduling, and enhance safety during peak periods.