Depending on the size of the space you're working with, you could totally
do this with a Kinect. I'm not completely sure on how far you could go with
the coding, but you could probably use it to track the length of time
people sit at a given location.

The drawback here would likely be people getting squicked out about the
panopticon-ness of it all, but you could probably even turn it into an
exhibit of source - if nothing else then to demonstrate that you're just
scanning stick-figure outlines and not full recordings of people.


On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 1:33 PM, Brian Feifarek <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Motion sensors might be the ticket.  For example,
> https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8630
>
> Brian
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andreas Orphanides" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 11:12:02 AM
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs in
> Library
>
> Oh, that's a much better idea than light sensors. One challenge with that
> might be difficulty in determining what "vacant" looks like
> authoritatively, especially if people move chairs, walk through room, etc.
> But much more accessible than actually bolting stuff to the table, I would
> think.
>
> On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 1:03 PM, Schwartz, Raymond <[log in to unmask]
> >wrote:
>
> > Hey Dre, Perhaps a video camera with some OpenCV?
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> > Andreas Orphanides
> > Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 8:55 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Way to record usage of tables/rooms/chairs in
> > Library
> >
> > If I were feeling really ambitious -- and fair warning, I'm a big
> believer
> > that any solution worth engineering is worth over-engineering -- I'd come
> > up with something involving light sensors (a la a gate counter) mounted
> on
> > the table legs, just above seat height. Throw in some something something
> > Arduino or Raspberry Pi, and Bob's your uncle.
> >
> > I find myself more intimidated by the practicality of maintaining such a
> > system (batteries, cord management etc) than about the practicality of
> this
> > implementation, actually.
> >
> > -dre.
> >
> > On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 7:59 PM, Thomas Misilo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I was wondering if anyone has been asked before to come up with a way
> > > to record usage of tables.
> > >
> > > The ideal solution would be a web app, that we can create floor plans
> > > with where all the tables/chairs are and select the "reporting time",
> > > say 9PM at night. Go around the library and select all the
> > > seats/tables/rooms that are currently being used/occupied for
> > statistical data.
> > >
> > > We would be wanting to go around probably multiple times a day.
> > >
> > > The current solution I have seen is a pen and paper task, and then
> > > someone will have to manually put the data into a spreadsheet for
> > analysis.
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >
> > > Tom
> > >
> >
>