Covid-19 SOLUTIONS
A continued use case after this crisis passes and further ROI.
IP audio and the future of retail Shopping centres and high street stores still sit at the heart of every community. Enabling these businesses to open is a critical step on the road to rebuilding the economy and will support millions of jobs. But current concerns about a second wave
of Covid-19, and heightened awareness of close customer contact, means that retailers will need to employ distancing methodology to continue trading for some considerable time in a combined effort to keep the R below 1 and thereby help to avoid a second lockdown. The use of technology to deliver information and alerts about customer and staff distancing behaviour and IP
audio to deliver consistent messaging will release staff to more customer facing roles. Through technology, retail can rebuild from a strong foundation and become more efficient. With cloud-enabled systems in place, including the latest IP audio solutions, it’s possible to help the retail industry continue to improve operations and innovate for a smarter, safer world.
People counter maker project to help social distancing efforts during Covid-19 People-counting project uses non-contact sensors to help staff monitor areas and maintain a safe density of people in shops and other commercial areas.
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S Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE: ECM), a global multi-channel provider of industrial and electronic products and solutions, has joined forces with miniature PLC manufacturer BARTH® Elektronik GmbH to develop a simple maker project that aids social distancing in the effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The project, called ‘People Counter’, can be assembled in less than an hour and records the number of people entering and exiting a room, indicating when it is safe to allow more people to enter while still maintaining the recommended distance from others. This is particularly effective in retail environments where safe social distancing can be difficult to control. Two photoelectric proximity sensors, or light barriers, detect the direction of movement, while a miniature PLC calculates the number of people in and out of the store in real time. A password-protected CAN touch screen is used
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to pre-set the maximum people limit and also serves as a ‘traffic light’ system, illuminating green when access is granted and red when access is denied. There is also an audio alert. The miniature PLC processes the data and controls the display. The project design is very simple. All of the parts required are available to purchase from RS, and the full Bill of Materials, 3D data, software and manuals can be downloaded from the RS DesignSpark engineering website. A short video also gives instructions on how to build the system. Daniel Barth, CEO of BARTH Elektronik, who devised this project, commented: “The idea came from the challenge that many
businesses currently face when restricting the number of people in shops. Maintaining a reasonable maximum can reduce the likelihood of the virus spreading further through human contact. It was important to find a precise, contactless solution that could protect public health, while avoiding the costs associated with employing extra staff to monitor numbers manually.” Mike Bray, VP of Innovation at RS, added: “This is a simple project that could have a huge, positive impact on the way retailers help protect customers from Covid-19 while they are out shopping. We would encourage any makers keen to help combat the virus to look at this project and consider how it could support businesses in their area, and then perhaps help those retailers to implement it. Makers really can make a difference.”
Security Focus africa June 2020
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