Store Number of Customers Counting System

[stephanie_g78]

I have to design a "people counter" for my design project and we have to use PIC16F684. We are ultimately required to build a prototype, so we are on a budget.

I'm thinking that we are going to use two IR beams and increment the counter if beam one then beam two is interrupted, and decrement the counter if beam two then beam one is interrupted. This way we will end up with the total number of customers in the store at a given time.

Could someone advise as to what materials we will need to create this system, and where we could get them for a relatively low price?

We also have to draw a circuit diagram. I probably should know where to start, seeing as I am a 4th year electrical engineering student, but I don't. Could anyone help?

I am also open to completely different solutions.

 

[ericgibbs]

I
I'm thinking that we are going to use two IR beams and increment the counter if beam one then beam two is interrupted, and decrement the counter if beam two then beam one is interrupted. This way we will end up with the total number of customers in the store at a given time.
.

hi Steph,
Two beams used as you state will not give you the in/out counting as you expect.

The two beams have to be positioned so that when a person passing thru them 'both' beams are broken at some moment.
The beam that is broken first will give an indication of which direction the person is moving..in/out

 

[stephanie_g78]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean.

Are you saying that both beams have to be broken at the same time?

Or are you saying that a customer will ultimately break both beams, and whichever one breaks first will indicate if they are coming or going? If so, this is what I meant.

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Steph

Attached is a drawing to get you going.

What Eric is saying is that (note the attached) when a person enters the D1 enter sensor must be first broken. Then the D2 exit sensor is broken before the D1 sensor is unbroken. Thus the sensors are close spaced. One sensor is broken then the second sensor in sequence. The reverse happens on exit. The D2 sensor is broken before the D1 sensor. If you follow the logic of the attached it should be clear.

The circuit was not used with a PIC but the enter exit logic is there to denote a count increment or decrement.

Hope that helps....

Ron

 

[#12]

There is also the problem of herding the crowd. If you measure across a 2 meter entrance, people will be going both ways at once. Then there is the funnel approch, as demonstrated in post #4, and the 2 lane approch. Just mentioning things you must consider for your project.

 

[mnoftle]

Hi Steph

Attached is a drawing to get you going.

What Eric is saying is that (note the attached) when a person enters the D1 enter sensor must be first broken. Then the D2 exit sensor is broken before the D1 sensor is unbroken. Thus the sensors are close spaced. One sensor is broken then the second sensor in sequence. The reverse happens on exit. The D2 sensor is broken before the D1 sensor. If you follow the logic of the attached it should be clear.

The circuit was not used with a PIC but the enter exit logic is there to denote a count increment or decrement.

Hope that helps....

Ron

Hi guys,
I'm Steph's partner for this project. What we were wondering is why both sensors have to be broken at the same time at some point?
Thanks for all your help,
Melissa

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Melissa

What we were wondering is why both sensors have to be broken at the same time at some point?

No, that is not the case. The sensors are not broken at the same point in time. If you look back at the circuit I posted, the idea is one sensor is tripped before the next. However, when the first sensor is tripped, it remains tripped till the second sensor is tripped. That is how the count up or count down is derived. The system knows if people are coming or going (enter or exit). If for example on enter sensor 1 goes high we want sensor 1 to remain high when sensor 2 goes high, This is followed by sensor 1 going low and then sensor 2 going low. Again, look back at the circuit I posted and think about the logic the gates perform. That should make it clear.

This is how the direction of travel is established resulting in a count up (entering) or a count down (exiting).

Ron

 

[mnoftle]

Hi Melissa



No, that is not the case. The sensors are not broken at the same point in time. If you look back at the circuit I posted, the idea is one sensor is tripped before the next. However, when the first sensor is tripped, it remains tripped till the second sensor is tripped. That is how the count up or count down is derived. The system knows if people are coming or going (enter or exit). If for example on enter sensor 1 goes high we want sensor 1 to remain high when sensor 2 goes high, This is followed by sensor 1 going low and then sensor 2 going low. Again, look back at the circuit I posted and think about the logic the gates perform. That should make it clear.

This is how the direction of travel is established resulting in a count up (entering) or a count down (exiting).

Ron

Hi,
We looked at the circuit but we never had much luck making sense of it. What we meant is why do the first beam need to remain unbroken until the second beam is broken? We found a video on youtube but everytime we try and post it for you to see it doesn't work. If you go to youtube and type in "people counter" it's the second video, called "people counter by tehnomobil-Protech". Why can't we do something like that?
Thanks,
Melissa

 

[Reloadron]

I have to give you credit as this method uses fairly complex software. Pretty interesting stuff. They apparently use an algorithm in a software routine. Exactly how it is applied I haven't a clue.

I thought that this was to be a simple "people counter" as to now many people enter an area (room) and exit a room. Doing that is relatively easy. I could likely write a simple software routine to increment a counter up or decrement a counter down based on the simple circuit I posted but to achieve what the videos managed is well beyond my scope.

Ron

 

[stephanie_g79]

We did not realize that the youtube people counter was so complicated. We do require a simple people counter.

Since we have to use a PIC, how would the circuit you posted differ? We should be able to program the PIC to increment and decrement the counter.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

We also have to draw a circuit diagram. I probably should know where to start, seeing as I am a 4th year electrical engineering student, but I don't. Could anyone help?

You can't draw a schematic after four years in electrical engineering? Wow.

 

[mnoftle2]

?????????????????????

 

[mnoftle2]

You can't draw a schematic after four years in electrical engineering? Wow.

So how would you do it?

 

[stephanie_g77]

You can't draw a schematic after four years in electrical engineering? Wow.

Not for this project, no. Have any suggestions?

 

[BigB9k]

We assume there is only 1 door.

What if there is a seperate entrance and exit door?

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Does the OP have four different IDs? If so why?

So how would you do it?

**broken link removed**

 

[BigB9k]

hahahah!
Thats 'lol' funny

 

[mnoftle2]

You can't draw a schematic after four years in electrical engineering? Wow.

Does the OP have four different IDs? If so why?


**broken link removed**

I'm sorry, I don't understand!

 

[stephanie_g77]

We assume there is only 1 door.

What if there is a seperate entrance and exit door?

Yeah I thought of that. It's a good point. We have to ask our prof tomorrow.

 

[stephanie_g77]

Does the OP have four different IDs? If so why?


**broken link removed**

Hahahaa Yes I do, because it won't let me post more then two times. I clearly don't belong here.