The Hidden Costs of Sensor Technology for Space Utilization in Higher Education

In the increasingly data-driven world of higher education, institutions are exploring various technologies to optimize space utilization. One of the most popular solutions for companies looking to start understanding occupancy data has been the use of sensors and to monitor classroom and building usage.

On the surface, these systems seem to promise efficiency and savings by enabling administrators to allocate resources more effectively. However, despite their allure, there are significant downsides now ?that higher education institutions must carefully consider before embracing sensor technologies. Concerns around cost, scalability, privacy, and long-term effectiveness usually lead institutions to pair sensors with more scalable, secure solutions like Wi-Fi or abandoning sensors all together. ?

How Sensor Technology Works

Space utilization sensors are hardware installed into conference rooms, libraries, and desk spaces to capture occupancy within a small, confined space. There are many different sensor approaches but many of them are detecting signs of life associated with motion, heat, or are increasingly camera-based. Each method has a varying degree of accuracy in their targeted square footage.

The Reality: High Cost and Scalability Challenges

While sensor technology offers high accuracy of people-counting within small allotted square footage, it comes at a steep price when thinking of scale. For large universities with sprawling campuses, the cost of installing, maintaining, and scaling a sensor network quickly becomes prohibitive. Universities that have seen success with sensor-based POCs have started in areas of high traffic like libraries and student centers. They start with a small pilot that restricts the square footage that is monitored and the ways that the data can be used. However, the ability to then roll that same POC model out to millions in sq footage becomes impossible. So the question you have to ask is, if we do this POC in a small area, what are the likelihood that we can scale. If that answer is no, then use the POC to test the accuracy of Wi-Fi.

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Initial Hardware and Installation Costs

Sensors, especially those equipped with camera technology, are expensive. A single sensor can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on its capabilities. For accurate coverage, multiple sensors are often required per room, particularly in large spaces like lecture halls or libraries.

The installation process itself involves wiring and integrating these sensors into a central system, adding further to the costs Installers must secure battery devices or Power over Ethernet (POE) to power the hardware. Today, sensors that install directly into outlets make it seemingly simple to deploy, however, they are easily discarded, damaged, and moved by people using the space. . While less costly, there is still a large amount of hardware needed to plug into each classroom, lab space and office space. Let’s not also forget, when it stops working, it’s not collecting data. Again, you need someone to go out and do either maintenance or replace. The high costs of installation labor coupled with purchasing hardware with significantly limited range makes sensor-based solutions prohibitive to large and growing campuses.

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Scaling Up: Exponential Costs

For large universities, scaling up sensor systems presents a significant challenge. Campuses with hundreds of buildings and thousands of rooms would need thousands of sensors. Each additional sensor contributes to the complexity of the system, requiring more sophisticated network infrastructure, greater bandwidth for data transmission, and enhanced cybersecurity measures to protect the data. These costs can spiral out of control, especially as institutions try to retrofit older buildings or integrate systems across multiple campuses.

The Issue of Data Accuracy and Wasteful Costs

Despite their high price tag, sensor-based systems often fall short in delivering the expected accuracy. Camera-based sensors, for instance, can suffer from issues such as false positives (detecting non-human movement) or struggling to differentiate between people in crowded areas. This can lead to inaccurate data on space occupancy, which in turn undermines the very purpose of the system. The cost of implementing a system that does not deliver reliable data can be viewed as a wasteful expenditure of institutional resources.

Additionally, institutions must invest in human resources to monitor, analyze, and interpret the data. This requires hiring or reallocating staff to handle the system, adding further hidden costs to the equation.

Security and Privacy Concerns: Another Costly Factor

Using camera-based sensors also raises significant privacy and security concerns. Although many sensor companies assure customers that their systems do not store or transmit personally identifiable information, the use of cameras inherently increases the risk of data breaches. Institutions may need to invest heavily in cybersecurity measures to ensure that sensitive data is protected. In cases where systems have to be modified or updated due to regulatory changes in data privacy, institutions could face even greater financial strain.

As sensors monitor conference rooms, desks, single-occupancy offices, and other confined spaces, they are more invasive to employees and students alike. Occupancy data from sensors that are deployed under desks or in individual office spaces can be used punitively and tend to misrepresent an employee’s contributions.

For students in labs, common spaces, study lounges and other mixed-use spaces the installation of sensors is considered a violation of their privacy. Northeastern students famously ripped sensors out? from under the desks and asked the university to more towards scientific research over surveillance.

Alternatives and the Value of Caution

Given the high costs, scalability challenges, and privacy concerns associated with sensor-based space utilization systems, higher education institutions should carefully weigh the benefits and risks. Alternatives, such as wi-fi data, or scheduling software that tracks room bookings, may offer a more cost-effective approach to monitoring space utilization. These solutions are significantly less expensive and easier to implement on a large scale.

A Risky Investment for Many Institutions

While sensor technology offers a solution to space utilization, its implementation in large higher education institutions presents significant financial, logistical, and privacy challenges. The cost of hardware, software, maintenance, and scalability can lead to wasteful spending, especially if the technology does not deliver accurate or useful data. For many universities, the long-term return on investment may be minimal compared to the upfront and ongoing expenses.

Higher education institutions should approach sensor-based occupancy analytics with caution, carefully considering the total cost of ownership and exploring alternative, less costly methods before committing to such a system.