Many buildings have IR sensors already installed for burglar alarms / 
fire detection. If you can get a read-only feed from that system you may 
be able to piggyback.

Of course, these kinds of sensors are tripped by staff making regular 
rounds of all spaces and similar non-patron activity.

cheers
stuart

On 16/08/13 06:33, Brian Feifarek 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
>>>
>>
>


-- 
Stuart Yeates
Library Technology Services http://www.victoria.ac.nz/library/