PanelPilotACE Display: People Counter App For A Post-Pandemic Society

Luxury Bubble is a ladies’ fashion shop in Fordingbridge, at the heart of the New Forest. Like so many stores, when Covid-19 hit and the lockdown started, Luxury Bubble had to close its doors to customers.

But with lockdown rules starting to ease, Luxury Bubble’s owner, Sian Currie, started thinking about how she could apply social distancing measures so that when the time came the shop could reopen. This meant limiting the number of customers allowed inside at any time. Floor markings and signs can help control browsing and queuing inside the shop, but from the outside it isn’t easy to tell how many customers are already inside without popping your head around the door.

Because Luxury Bubble is a smaller business with only a few staff, there may not be spare staff available to monitor who is going in and who is coming out of the shop. This is where the PanelPilotACE intelligent display comes into play. With the People Counter application installed onto the PanelPilotACE, and a few easily obtainable parts (listed below), the number of people going in and out can be monitored without the need for staff interaction. The screen clearly shows customers when it is safe to enter, and when they should wait.

The free People Counter application will suit most single door entry properties. Staff can set the maximum number of people to be allowed into the premises, and also set a delay between entries so that safe distances are maintained.

“During and post-pandemic, it’s vital that we maintain strict social distancing rules in the shop and maintain optimum customer numbers for the safety of my employees and my customers. Being able to do that electronically rather than manually is just one more way we can make this new retail normal a little less stressful and safer. I’m looking forward to seeing it in use.” – Sian Currie, owner of Luxury Bubble

Main parts required for the People Counter system are:

  • Lascar PanelPilot SGD 43-A
  • 2x photoelectric proximity sensor beams (e.g. RS 729-5117)
  • Suitable 12V 1A power supply (e.g. RS 121-7204)
  • Suitable enclosure to house the PanelPilot display and sensors (e.g. RS 773-9651)

Exact parts required will depend on the specific environment and entrance to be used.

The free People Counter application is available on request, please contact us at [email protected].  If you have specific requirements, the technical team at Lascar is also available for modification advice and other example templates, or you may wish to make use of our design service for more complex customisation.

Automation Update