LiDAR people counting
Laser-based sensors measure movement as anonymous points in 3D space, giving exact counts, occupancy and paths indoors and outdoors, in daylight or total darkness. There is no camera and no image, so there is nothing to blur.
Laser-based 3D measurement that works in any light, with no camera and no images.
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What makes LiDAR different
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Anonymous at the source
LiDAR measures distance with laser light and sees shapes, not faces. No image ever exists, so there is nothing to store, mask or blur.
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Exact counts in 3D
Precise directional counting and live occupancy at entrances, corridors and open areas, with reliable separation of people moving close together.
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Indoors, outdoors, any light
Laser measurement is independent of lighting, so it performs the same at noon, at night and in challenging spaces like forecourts, plazas and terminals.
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One platform, every method
LiDAR data lands in the same analytics platform, dashboards and API as Wi-Fi, camera and cellular data, so all methods share one source of truth.
How it works
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Scan
The sensor sweeps its surroundings with eye-safe laser pulses and measures the reflections, building a live 3D point cloud of the space.
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Detect, anonymously
Software identifies human-shaped clusters of points and follows them through the zone. It works on geometry alone, with no image and no identity.
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Count & analyse
The movement becomes exact in/out counts, occupancy, dwell and path metrics for the covered area.
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Deliver
Metrics flow into the same API and dashboards as every other Bumbee Labs method, so there is one platform and one source of truth.
What data you get from LiDAR
LiDAR measures exactly, both at single points and across open areas. Typical metrics from a LiDAR installation:
- Exact in / out counts (directional line-crossing)
- Real-time occupancy and capacity against safe limits
- Dwell time and queue build-up at the measured area
- Paths and flows through the covered zone
- Peaks & lows at the measured points
For whole-venue journeys and catchment beyond the sensor's reach, combine LiDAR with Wi-Fi or cellular. See the method-by-method grid.
How LiDAR measures a space
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) measures a space by sweeping it with rapid, eye-safe laser pulses and timing the reflections. The result is a live three-dimensional map of everything that moves, made of geometry, with no photograph or video. People appear as anonymous clusters of points with a position, a height and a direction of travel. That is enough to count them precisely, and the data holds nothing more.
LiDAR people counting therefore gives you camera-grade precision without a camera, delivered as GDPR-compliant footfall analytics. Because no image, face or footage is ever captured, there is nothing to store or blur and nothing for a privacy review to worry about. Privacy follows from how the sensor measures, so it does not depend on a processing rule.
Where LiDAR fits best
LiDAR is strongest where exact counts are needed under difficult conditions: entrances and gates that need reliable directional counts, wide or open areas where a single sensor can cover what would take many overhead cameras, and outdoor or low-light environments (forecourts, plazas, terminals, arenas at night) where lighting would defeat optical systems. It works alongside the other methods: Wi-Fi covers whole venues and journeys, 3D sensors remain a proven choice at defined doorways, and cellular data answers where visitors come from. In a hybrid setup, LiDAR is one more precise input into the same picture.
Choosing a LiDAR people counter
The right LiDAR people counter depends on the space. Before comparing sensor spec sheets, settle four things:
- Coverage and mounting. Ceiling height, field of view and the shape of the area decide whether one wide-area unit or several smaller ones make sense, and that decision drives most of the cost.
- Indoors or out. Outdoor counters need weather-rated housings and placement that handles rain, snow and direct sun. The laser itself is unaffected by light, but the enclosure has to survive the site.
- People only, or vehicles too? If the same site needs bicycle, traffic or parking measurement, pick hardware that covers both, so one sensor family replaces parallel systems.
- Where the data lands. Counts trapped in a vendor portal age badly. Make sure the counter’s output reaches your dashboards, API and BI tools. That is the layer we provide, whichever sensor you choose.
We stay sensor-agnostic, so we help you pick the LiDAR people counter that fits the venue, and every option feeds the same platform.
Beyond people: vehicles, bicycles and parking
Because LiDAR measures moving geometry, it is not limited to pedestrians. The same sensors can be configured per project to count vehicles and bicycles or to measure parking occupancy, so the measurement covers a site from the door out to the kerb. For a forecourt, a transport hub or a city environment, people flows and traffic flows can then sit in the same dashboard. Each application has its own page: bicycle counting for cycle paths, bridges and streets, traffic counting for streets and site entrances, and parking occupancy measurement for car parks and forecourts. We configure every deployment for the site it will measure.
One platform, whichever method measures
LiDAR metrics arrive through the same analytics platform and API as every other Bumbee Labs method, with the same data deliverables, the same dashboards and the same delivery into your BI tools.
LiDAR vs other counting methods
LiDAR combines point precision with open-area reach and works regardless of lighting. For whole-venue coverage and catchment, pair it with Wi-Fi or cellular.
| Capability | Wi-Fi | Camera & 3D | Cellular | LiDAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-space coverage | Yes | Partial | Yes | Partial |
| Exact in/out at a door | Partial | Yes | No | Yes |
| Real-time occupancy | Partial | Yes | No | Yes |
| Paths & flows between zones | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Dwell time | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Catchment / origin | No | No | Yes | No |
| Works in total darkness | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Uses your existing hardware | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Built-in privacy protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- Full
- Partial
- Not available
Curious what this looks like for your venue?
Privacy without a workaround
Camera-based systems answer the privacy question with processing rules. With LiDAR the question does not arise, because laser measurement never produces an image of anyone. Add Bumbee Labs' anonymous, aggregated delivery and the output is statistics about a space, with nothing about any individual.
We have extensively evaluated Bumbee Labs' solution and the quality insights they produce, in combination with the efficiency of the remote installation process, make this a valuable collaboration. This alliance presents a great opportunity for our distribution ecosystem to provide a variety of service offerings to their customers, opening up new revenue streams.
Frequently asked questions
What is a LiDAR people counter?
A sensor that counts people by sweeping the space with eye-safe laser pulses and measuring the reflections. People appear as anonymous clusters of points in a 3D point cloud. That is enough to count them exactly and follow their direction, with no camera and no image. The counts flow into the same dashboards and API as every other Bumbee Labs method.
How is LiDAR different from camera-based counting?
A camera counts by interpreting a picture; LiDAR counts by measuring distance with laser light. LiDAR's output is a 3D point cloud in which people appear as moving clusters of points, so precision is high, lighting doesn't matter and no image of anyone ever exists. Cameras remain a strong choice at defined entrances; LiDAR extends the same precision to dark, outdoor and wide-open spaces.
Is LiDAR safe and legal to use around people?
The sensors use low-power, eye-safe lasers of the same class found in consumer electronics. Because the measurement is geometry rather than imagery, it avoids the surveillance concerns that follow camera deployments in public space.
Which LiDAR sensors does Bumbee Labs use?
We deliberately stay sensor-agnostic: different environments call for different sensors, and the choice of hardware follows the venue, the coverage area and the precision required. Whatever the sensor, the data lands in the same platform, dashboards and API as every other Bumbee Labs method.
Can LiDAR count more than people?
Yes. The same laser measurement counts vehicles and bicycles and measures parking occupancy. That is why forecourts, transport hubs and cities choose it: one sensor family covers all the movement on a site. Bicycle counting, traffic counting and parking occupancy each have their own page, and we configure every deployment for the site it will measure.