Hybrid people counting solutions
Combine Wi-Fi, 3D sensors and mobile data for the most complete picture. Whole-space flows and exact entrance counts in one system, with each method covering the others' blind spots.
Wi-Fi, cameras/3D and cellular in one platform, no blind spots.
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Key benefits
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Macro + micro accuracy
From exact in/out at the door to district-wide flows, each method covers what the others can't.
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Cross-validated data
Methods check each other. Sensor ground truth calibrates Wi-Fi; Wi-Fi adds context to the point. The result is higher confidence in every number.
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Predictive planning
Richer, fuller data supports forecasting for event management, retail planning and urban development.
How it works
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Map the questions
We start from what you need to know, then assign each question to the method that answers it best.
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Deploy where it counts
Re-use existing Wi-Fi for coverage; add sensors only at the doors that need exact counts; add cellular for the wide outdoors.
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Fuse & cross-validate
All streams meet in one engine, where sensor ground truth calibrates Wi-Fi and the methods check each other.
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Deliver one picture
A single API and one set of dashboards, with every metric comparable and no gaps.
What data you get from a hybrid
A hybrid is designed to leave nothing out: you get the full metric set, with each metric sourced from the method that delivers it best:
- Exact in / out and real-time occupancy (from sensors)
- Whole-space paths, dwell, zone correlation and conversion (from Wi-Fi)
- Wide-area flows and catchment (from cellular)
- Peaks, trends and benchmarking across every method, in one place
A hybrid is the only way to get every metric at once with cross-validation. See the method-by-method grid.
One picture, built from the best of each method
Hybrid solutions fuse Wi-Fi scalability, sensor precision and cellular coverage into a single analytics system. The point isn’t more sensors for their own sake. It’s that each method’s weakness is another method’s strength. Cameras and 3D sensors are exact at a door but blind across the floor; Wi-Fi covers the whole space but isn’t built for line-crossing at a single entrance; cellular sees the wide outdoors but not the inside of a building. Put together, the gaps disappear.
The trade-off hybrid counting removes
Most venues end up with the wrong compromise: precise data in one spot and nothing elsewhere, or broad data that’s too coarse for the decisions that matter at the door. A hybrid removes the trade-off. You get exact in/out and live occupancy where you need them, whole-space behaviour everywhere else, and the wide outdoors on top, and because the streams cross-validate, you can trust every number more.
Occupancy monitoring is one of the strongest use cases for a hybrid: sensors deliver the precise real-time number at each door, while Wi-Fi supplies the in-space picture that tells you where people have moved after entry. Together they support capacity management that is both accurate at the threshold and meaningful across the floor.
Where it fits best
- Smart cities: model infrastructure needs across a district, from the wide outdoors down to key indoor points.
- Airports: track passengers from kerb to gate with cellular, Wi-Fi and sensors together.
- Shopping malls: combine Wi-Fi and cameras for visitor-based rent and campaign evaluation.
One platform underneath
However many methods you run, the data lands in one place: one API, one set of dashboards, every metric comparable. → See the analytics platform & API.
Curious what this looks like for your venue?
Every blind spot covered, compliantly
However many methods you combine, the company behind them stays the same: Bumbee Labs, home of the only footfall method in Europe approved by a data protection authority. No personal data, no privacy risk, at any scale.
We are very happy to announce this partnership with Bumbee Labs to boost our Wireless solutions portfolio and bring what we believe is the future for retail businesses, measured by trustful data. What can't be measured, can't be improved.
Frequently asked questions
Why combine methods instead of picking one?
Each technology has its strengths and its limits. Sensors are exact at a point but blind elsewhere; Wi-Fi covers whole spaces but isn't ideal for line-crossing at one door; cellular sees the wide outdoors but not indoor detail. Fusing them ensures full coverage and removes the blind spots a single method leaves behind.
Isn't a hybrid setup more expensive?
Not necessarily. A hybrid often lowers cost by re-using existing Wi-Fi infrastructure for coverage and adding precise sensors only where they're actually needed, rather than over-deploying any single method.
Does combining methods improve accuracy?
Yes. Complementary data streams let the methods cross-validate. Sensor and control data act as a reliable ground truth that calibrates the statistical model and helps maintain accuracy over time.
How is all the data delivered?
Through one platform. Every method's metrics land in the same API and dashboards, so you compare like-for-like across the whole estate. See the analytics platform and the data deliverables page.