Canon Software to Measure Crowd Sizes in Real-Time

MELVILLE, NY — Canon U.S.A., the maker of cameras and imaging solutions, says it can measure crowd sizes in real-time with new software fittingly named the Crowd People Counter.

The video content analysis software can quickly provide event management teams and law enforcement agencies the ability to gather crowd size data in real-time. The gathering and analysis of this data can help detect overcrowding and potentially prevent accidents at a variety of locations, including stadiums, airports, train stations, houses of worship, and other venues. An additional application of the software is the ability to support city planning projects.

“Now more than ever, cities and venues are extremely conscious about crowd control and social distancing,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Technologies and Communications Group. “With the current COVID-19 pandemic, it has become extremely important to be able to monitor the density of crowds. Our new Crowd People Counter software can help to manage crowds in real time and will provide valuable data to help keep people safe once large gatherings and events return.”

The Crowd People Counter software can detect humans using as little as 15 pixels and is capable of detecting up to approximately 88,000 people in maximum resolution (5472 x 3648) and 9,000 people in Full HD (1920 x 1080), respectively.  Designed to aid with event management by identifying trends in crowds, the software data can help to determine the appropriate number of police officers, security guards, emergency medical personnel, and ambulances needed in a given area. Because of the real-time crowd analysis, security and event staff can be re-positioned to ensure appropriate staffing as events take place within large venues, helping to increase safety all while managing crowd size. The crowd data also supports staff optimization for future event planning.

The Crowd People Counter software works in tandem with Canon and Axis Network Cameras and Windows-supported devices using both Webview and VAPIX protocol for live streaming.