Many buildings have IR sensors already installed for burglar alarms /
fire detection. If you can get a read-only feed from that system you may
be able to piggyback.
Of course, these kinds of sensors are tripped by staff making regular
rounds of all spaces and similar non-patron activity.
cheers
stuart
On 16/08/13 06:33, Brian Feifarek wrote:
Motion sensors might be the ticket. For example,
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8630
Brian
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andreas Orphanides" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 11:12:02 AM
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs in Library
Oh, that's a much better idea than light sensors. One challenge with that
might be difficulty in determining what "vacant" looks like
authoritatively, especially if people move chairs, walk through room, etc.
But much more accessible than actually bolting stuff to the table, I would
think.
On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 1:03 PM, Schwartz, Raymond <[email protected]>wrote:
Hey Dre, Perhaps a video camera with some OpenCV?
-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Andreas Orphanides
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 8:55 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs in
Library
If I were feeling really ambitious -- and fair warning, I'm a big believer
that any solution worth engineering is worth over-engineering -- I'd come
up with something involving light sensors (a la a gate counter) mounted on
the table legs, just above seat height. Throw in some something something
Arduino or Raspberry Pi, and Bob's your uncle.
I find myself more intimidated by the practicality of maintaining such a
system (batteries, cord management etc) than about the practicality of this
implementation, actually.
-dre.
On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 7:59 PM, Thomas Misilo <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has been asked before to come up with a way
to record usage of tables.
The ideal solution would be a web app, that we can create floor plans
with where all the tables/chairs are and select the "reporting time",
say 9PM at night. Go around the library and select all the
seats/tables/rooms that are currently being used/occupied for
statistical data.
We would be wanting to go around probably multiple times a day.
The current solution I have seen is a pen and paper task, and then
someone will have to manually put the data into a spreadsheet for
analysis.
Thanks!
Tom
--
Stuart Yeates
Library Technology Services http://www.victoria.ac.nz/library/
