Do you need workplace sensors? Maybe- but have a think about it first.
Workplaces seem to be rolling out sensors when they might not need to. This could mean another cloud service you have to subscribe to just to get an on/off message to say someone is at a desk or in a room. Before you rollout sensors in your workplace ask some design questions. Like when, where and why do you need to track or count people? Then select methods based on the answers to those questions. Hardware such as sensors should never be part of user story scoping as this applies a technology to a problem- before defining what the problem actually is. Furthermore, problem solving should start with, ‘what can I do with what I already have?’, before anything new is introduced.
Most organisations have a fixed and wireless network, active directory and a login service such as Windows Domain Controller. Combine these and you can track where users dock and what wireless access points their devices can see. This is typically enough to have zone based reporting on a floor plan or a rough idea (down to a 2 metre radius) of where people are. Use this to search for people, trigger control events, monitor security or simply report on space usage.
Another area that is overlooked is the lighting network. You probably have in-room sensors already. Ask facilities about connecting to the KNX/CBUS/Philips network to get access to these. Rolling out a new sensor into a room with an existing lighting sensor is like the old touch panel problem we use to see: one for air con, one for lights, one for AV.
Use sensors to fill in the blind spots. Maybe you have identified some areas the network does not cover. A sensor or a camera might be the answer. But keep asking design questions before you rollout lots of sensors in your workplace. Can we use existing security cameras? Can the building access give us enough location info? Can the room’s Cisco or Huddly camera provide people metrics? Can we use all of the above methods to paint a better picture of how people are using space? The answers: yes or at least probably :)
Read ways ACAEngine can count, track and search for people without the need for sensors. No email wall- just a public google doc
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14XIJbnvJBg23Qc_oc3JN5Ub0geETTSmTWr8Sd8YryLM/edit?usp=sharing