Silicon Valley Startup Density Launches People Counting As A Service
A Silicon Valley startup says their people counting sensor is so accurate it's free, just pay for the data. They recently raised $4M from a top VC and want to take on established companies in the space.
We interviewed Density CEO Andrew Farrah [link no longer available] to discuss this new sensor, and how they plan to revolutionize people counting.
Company ********
******* *** **** ******** ** ****** counting ***** *** ****, ********* **** a ****** **** ******* ****** ** ** area ** *********** *** ****** ** cellphones ******* ******* **** ********. ***** they ********** ** ******* ******* **** counted ****** ****** *** *** *** devices **** **** ********.
***** *** *** *** ******* *** been ******* ** ******* **** ******* (not *********** ********** ******) *** ********* the **** **** ******** **** **** the ********** **** ** ****** *** data.
*******
****** *** ******* *** **** ****** for ******* *****, **** ** ***** ***** major *******, **** * $** ***** lead ** ****-***** ** **** ****** [**** no ****** *********] *** *** ************* *** ******* ** *** *** site. **** ********** ****** $***,*** **** angel *********.
******'* **** *** ******* ****** ******* Density **** **** ***** **** ****** of *******, ** ** ****** **** hardware ********, ***** *** **** *********.
Latest ****** ******* *********
*** *** ******* ****** ** ******* ** size ** ** ***** **, *** **** a ****-**-****** ***** ****** ** ****** people. **** ** * ******* ******** to *******'* *** ******. *** ****** ****** ** **** ~8' **** *** *' **** ** front ** * ******* *** **** onboard ********** *** ***** ** ****** people ******* ***** **.
*** ****** ** ******** ** **** more **** * ****** ****** **** a ******. ** *** **** ************, as **** ** ***** ******** *** PoE.
Privacy Is ****
******* ******* ******* ** *** ******* aspect ** *** ******, ********* ** as ** "********* ****** *******". *** Time-of-flight ****** ******** ** ***** ******** like * ******* ******, *** ********* depth ******* ** ****. **** ******* the *********** **** ******* *** ******* facial ******, ** **** ****** ** clothing.
***** *** ******* ***** ** ********, this ***** **** ***** ** ** a ********** ** ***** ** ******** people **** ****** ** ******, **** as ** * ***** ****** ******** or ****** ***********, ** ********* ********** on ****** ********.
People ******** **. ****** *********
*******'* *** **** ** ***** **** are ******** ** * **** ******** problem: ******** ****** ******* ***** * doorway, *** *** "****** *********" ***** typically ******** ******** ****** ** **** as *********** ***** ********* **** ********* around * ******* *******, ** ******** paths ******* * *****. ** ******** their *******, ******* ***** ***** ****** can ** ******** ** ********** ******** owners, *** **** ** ************ **** may *** **** ********** ****** ******** data ** *** ****.
Ideal *********
******* **** ***** **** *** ***** are ****/***********, ********, ******** ********, ******* and ******* *********. ***** ********* *** more ********** ** **** ** ******* times ** ********* **** ** **** "profiling" ********* ** ******-******* ************ ********* do.
******** **** ***** ** ******** *** shelters **** ******* ******* ***** ** overall ********. *** ******* ******* ******* a ****** *** *** ***** ********* to *** **** ******* ******* ** deploy **-**** ******* *** *********** *********. A ****** **** **** *** ****** to **** **** ** *** **** customers **** ** **** ****** ***** their *********, ** ***** ***** **** sitting ***** **** ** ** **** crowded.
******* ****** **** *** ****** ** highly ******** **** **** ** *********** applications *** ********* ** ******** (*-**' mounting ******, ******** * ** * doors ***), *** ***** *** **** a ******** ****** *** ******** **********.
Data ******
********* *** ****** ******* ****** **** than "+*" ** "-*" **** * person ** **** ********/******** ***** **. Density **** **** ** *** **** additional ************ ** *** ******, *** stressed **** **** *** *** ****** to ***** * ****** **** ********** specific *************** **** ****** ** ***, as **** ***** ****** ******* ************ have ****.
Data ************
*** ****** ****** ** **** (**** a ************), **** **** *** ****** is *******'* ****** *******. ******* ***** ****** to *** **** ********* *** $**/****/***** on * **-******** ****, ** $**/****/***** on ** ****** ************ ****. ***** can ****** *** *** $**/***** **** and ****** ***** ****** ** *** time ** ****** *** ********.
Density ******** ******* *********
******* ** ******* ******** *** ****** are **** ********* ********** ****, *** Density ****** **** ****** ** **** regard. Density ********* *** * ***** ****** ***** ******, but ********* **** *** *** ****, similar ** *** ********* ****** **** output **** *******'* *******:
**** ******** ********* *** **** ** fully utilize the ******* ** **** ** ********** investment ** ******** *********** ** ***** an *** ****** *** **** ******* provides.
******* * ****** ********* *********, ******* does *** **** * **** ******** and *** **** * **** **** ********** customers ** **** ******** ***** *******.
Very ******* *****
****** ******* ** *** ************* ** retail *********, **** ** *** ******** they **** ********** ** ********* **, among many **** *********** *********** **** **** reporting.
********** *** ****** $****, *** ****** ** optimized ****** ******* **** ******* ** Density (****** ** **** ********* **********). ShopperTrak *** ******** ** **** *** $****. **** ** ***** ********* **** offer **** ****** ********* ********** **** allow ********* ** **** ****, *** relate ** ** ***** ******* **** POS ****.
***** ********* ******** ******* ********* *******:
- ***********, ***** *** ******** ** **** ** ****.
- *********** ****** ********-********* ******** *** * ********* dashboard
- ****** **** ******* **********, *** **** ****** to ***** ******** ** ** ***** wide
- *-***** **** ******-****** *** ********, **** ** a *******-***** ******.
- ***** *******, ******* ******* ****** *******, ****** ** well-known **'*, **** *** **** ****** in *** ****** *********/****** ******** ***** since ****.
- ******* *** **** ***** *********** ******* *** heat-map **** ** *** ****** **** cameras
- ********* [**** ** ****** *********] ****** ****** counter ********* ** **** ** ***** cameras ** *******.
- *** ****** ****** ******** ** **** ** their ***
- ******* *** * ****** ******* ****** *** their ********
- ******* *** * ****** ******** ***-** ** their *** *** ****** * ** day **** *****
**** ** **** * ***** **** of ****** ******* *******, ******* **** exist ** *** ******** *** ****** industries.
Compared ** *********** ********
**** ********* ******* ********* ********, ********* ******* *** installed ** ** **********. ********* **** ********-******** companies **** *******, *******, ***. **** to *** ******* * ******* ************, but ****** **** ***** ******* ** have ******* **** ** ******* *******.
*********** ********* *** **** ** **** ******* as 1-2 ***** ** ******* *******, ****** the ************ ****** *********** ********** ** customers **** **** *****-**-***** ****** ************ but ** ****-*** ****** *** ** upfront *******.
* ***** ****** ** * ***** comparison ***** ** *** ********* **** to ***** * ******** ** *******'* API **** ********* ******* ******* ** ***** solutions. **** ***** ****** **** $**,*** in ********* **** **** ** ***** a ***** *********.
Outlook *** *******
*******'* ******** **** **** ******* ** this ******* *** ******* *****, ** they *** ** ***** ***** ** what ** ********** ********. ***** **** investor, **** ******, ** **** ***** for *********** *** *********** *** ******* to ******* ****. *** ***** ******* alone **** ****** *** **** ** for *******'* ******* **** ** ******* to **** **** **** *********** ** knowledge **** * ******** *** *** to ****** ********** ***** ***********. ** expect **** ******* **** **** ** providing * ********* *********, ** ******** partnerships **** ***** *********, ** ******* a **** ******** ********. ** **** reevaluate ******* **** *** ******* *** more ****** ********* *********.