Case Study: Smart Office Management with Anonymous Occupancy Detection

 

Introduction

  Pragmile’s InfraSenses technology is at the forefront of workplace management, offering a dual solution: it streamlines office space utilization and improves employee safety. Its advanced thermal detectors ensure efficiency without compromising privacy, using anonymous, low-resolution infrared imaging that protects individual identities.

Our Achievements:

 

• Developed a thermal image recognition system analyzing over 52,000 images

 

• Improved the accuracy of detecting occupancy and activities within smart buildings
• Received positive feedback for the system’s effectiveness in optimizing building management
• Enhanced space usage monitoring with minimal privacy invasion

• Client Benefits:

   
• Provided metrics on occupancy rates and activity patterns
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• Enhanced energy efficiency through data-driven insights
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• Supported effective space management with minimal disruption to occupants
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  The Problem:

    In conventional office environments, a major concern is the inefficient use of space, which leads to significant energy wastage and environmental impact. Often, rooms are heated, cooled, and lit regardless of their occupancy, contributing to unnecessary energy consumption. This inefficiency not only strains environmental resources but also inflates operational costs. Additionally, these settings typically lack mechanisms to promptly detect and respond to safety incidents, such as falls or health emergencies, posing a risk to employee well-being.

  Our Solution:

    Pragmile’s Infrasenses uses low-resolution thermal detectors for privacy protection and delivers a comprehensive solution: Space Optimization: Real-time monitoring for effective management of meeting rooms and workspaces, improving overall efficiency. Enhanced Safety Protocols: The system is engineered to identify unusual patterns, such as falls or multiple individuals becoming motionless, triggering immediate alerts for rapid emergency response. Additionally, it can detect fever in individuals, further enhancing workplace safety. Human Detection as well as Pose Detection: Detecting and locating people in a specified area. Distinguishing them from animals or objects. Determining and tracking changes in positions, like standing and sitting. This feature benefits from the system’s ability to detect heat signatures in low-light conditions and through barriers, in real-time. Accurate Body Temperature Measurements: Remote, contactless, real-time measurements of body temperature. Efficient for screening large crowds. High Throughput: Ability to track and analyze data for over 300 people per minute, ideal for behavior analysis in large areas.

  Path to Success:

  • Data-Driven Management: Leveraging thermal data to monitor occupancy levels, enhancing space efficiency.
  • Calendar Integration: Synchronizing with office calendars for streamlined meeting room bookings.
  • Advanced Analytics: Providing insights into actual space utilization versus scheduled use.
  • Eco-Friendly Automation: Automatically adjusting environmental controls for energy conservation.
  • Safety-First Approach: Implementing sophisticated algorithms to detect potential safety incidents, such as falls or unconsciousness, prompting quick emergency responses.

Implementation and Integration:

The Infrasenses technology was implemented in office environments, focusing on meeting rooms and workspaces. Thermal detectors were strategically installed to monitor room occupancy, seamlessly integrating with existing networks for real-time data transmission. This integration was extended to MS Outlook for efficient space management. The installation process was streamlined to minimize disruption, with employee training ensuring easy adaptation to the new system.

Results and Benefits:

The introduction of Infrasenses technology brought about several measurable improvements:

• • • Space Utilization: There was a significant increase in the effective use of meeting rooms. For instance, the conference room’s utilization improved to 75% occupancy.
    • Productivity Gains: Employees saved up to 60 minutes per week previously spent searching for spaces, enhancing overall productivity.
    • Cost Efficiency: With better space utilization, the need for additional office space reduced, leading to considerable cost savings.
    • Environmental Impact: Optimized space usage contributed to lower energy consumption, aligning with sustainability goals.
    • Data-Driven Management: Analysis of collected data led to informed decisions regarding space management and future planning.
    • Reduction in Ghost Meetings: The technology reduced ‘no-show meetings’ by 25%, thereby increasing the availability of meeting spaces.

Feedback from users and management highlighted the system’s positive impact, underscoring its potential as a solution for modern office challenges.

Conclusion:

The Infrasenses technology by Pragmile has significantly advanced office space management. It has proven to enhance space utilization efficiency, resulting in improved productivity, cost savings, and environmental benefits. This technology’s data-driven approach allows for informed space management decisions, optimizing real estate use and promoting a more agile workspace. Additionally, it addresses environmental concerns by reducing energy consumption, aligning with sustainability goals. Infrasenses’ potential for future, diverse applications promises further innovations in workspace management, setting new standards in the industry.