• sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    48
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 months ago

    They could very easily just implement some rudimentary person identification algos and output only a headcount.

    Pretty sure you can do that with OpenCV.

    • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      29
      ·
      5 months ago

      I think Google does this with your phone. I can see how busy various places are by looking them up on Google maps. Really useful for my local Costco.

      • IamAnonymous@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        So when is your Costco not busy? Genuine question as I have gone there mid-day during the week and it will still be packed. One day I went 30 min before close and the parking lot was still full.

        • conciselyverbose
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          5 months ago

          There’s busy and there’s “checkout lines literally to the back of the store”

        • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          I’ve noticed usually in the middle of the afternoon, before 4. Otherwise you’ll get the people who left early to go to Costco.

          Weekends near the end of the day, oddly enough, usually are quiet as well.

      • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        5 months ago

        I think you’re correct, but wouldn’t this only work if you are running either android, or google maps, and have location on?

        Its accurate enough but still an estimate, is the point i am getting at.

        Conceivably a webcam + opencv headcount would be more precise, if the cameras covered the whole space and could account for viewing the same person from a different angle.

        Its like how google can give you an estimate of bus times, but if there is a local city app that specifically interfaces directly with the actually city busses, it’ll be more accurate.

        • infeeeee@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          5 months ago

          Your example with the buses is wrong. There is a standard called GTFS and public transport companies publish their fleet status and timetable according to this standard, Google just reads and displays this data. Nowadays you should see the same data in the official apps and gmaps. There are even foss solutions displaying the same thing like transportr.app

          You can browse this data worldwide on https://www.transit.land

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        Doesn’t work that well in my experience. A place that’s mostly empty on weekdays often shows it’s really busy during weekend evenings because it is, comparatively but it’s not crowded or anything

    • Saik0@lemmy.saik0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      5 months ago

      I have this capability with my home assistant/frigate setup. Literally have a camera pointed at my back patio right now that says “Cats: 2” Cause my cats are sleeping on the couch out there.

      • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        I have no experience with the software involved in that, but I do know that generally, anything connected to a POS system probably should not be connected to a publicly accessible… anything.

        Does this software even have APIs to do something like that?

        Or could you just point a webcam at a screen or portion of a screen that the default software indicates open tab count on lol?