The municipal markets of Barcelona carry out the capacity control with Hikvision

In the 39 enclosures that form the network of municipal markets of Barcelona the capacity control is carried out with a solution, AI-based, integrating near 340 dual-lens cameras, I-4K Series NVR recorders and HikCentral management platform.

Hikvision, in collaboration with the integrator Aina-Tressat, has designed and installed the system of cameras of counting of people for the control of capacity of the 39 enclosures that form the network of Mercats of Barcelona.

This solution provides real-time capacity information, which allows decisions to be made according to the need of each moment, For example, prevent the entry of more people when the authorized capacity is completed and until the occupation drops. And, Also, provides statistics on footfall of each market (how many people enter, what time do they do it, by what door...), with real data that helps improve the management of the markets themselves.

In total, have been installed near 340 dual-lens cameras for counting people, connected to NVR Series I-4K recorders that are easily and intuitively managed through HikCentral software.

Hikvision's solution for capacity control was chosen mainly for three key factors. First of all, for the high reliability and accuracy in the counting function, greater than 99%, thanks to deep learning technology embedded in devices. Secondly, for the flexibility in the ability to configure the computers, which allowed the homogenization of the solution in 39 markets with very different scenarios. And, At last, for the possibility of installing the cameras in overhead position.

The Institut Municipal de Mercats de Barcelona, agency dependent on the Barcelona City Council which manages the city's markets, took the decision to implement this system in March 2020, and at the end of the same year, the solution was already operational.

"From the beginning the solution gave citizens the peace of mind of being able to go to the market without exceeding the permitted capacity", explains Pilar Roca, Responsible for Organization Management, IMMB Marketing and Systems.

Installation challenges

The project to install cameras to count people in all municipal markets in Barcelona required to face several challenges.

The main obstacle was the need to implement a solution in 39 different markets, taking into account the diversity of buildings and, especially, of accesses to them: Structures, Morphologies (height and width), Sizes, Flows, Locations, lighting conditions… All this forced to design multiple specific solutions for each type of access.

It was also time to resolve the limitation on the internet connection. The digital infrastructure in the markets was insufficient for the implementation of the project, that requires a constant recording and sending of data in real time. Finally a stable network was achieved, although this process greatly slowed down the installation process.

Finally,, the implementation time of the whole project was very tight. above all, taking into account that the installation was developed without closing the markets to the public, which required establishing complicated working hours, designed not to disturb customers during business opening hours.

"It was a huge challenge," they explain from AINA-Tressat., had to be adapted to the peculiarities of each space, the markets are very different from each other, and meet deadlines, they were very tight. We study solutions from many manufacturers, and we saw that Hikvision was the only one that offered us a mature proposal prepared to respond to what we needed".

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