Introduction

When installing Irisys Vector devices, there are a things that the installer must be aware of in order to ensure that they are installed correctly and will work effectively, with a high degree of accuracy.

It makes no sense to purchase one of the most accurate people counters on the market and then install it badly so that its performance is hampered and it cannot count accurately!

With that in mind this section details the installation requirements so that the underlying operating mechanism of the Vector can function correctly and effectively.

 

Technology

The technology used by Vector devices is that of Time of Flight detection, which is a depth sensing technology.

Vectors can effortlessly evaluate what they are seeing within their field of view and quickly determine: what is the floor; what is a moving person; and what are other (non-human) objects.

Importantly a Vector must not have any part of its field of view blocked or the returning/reflected IR signal will be confusing to the device and/or impede accurate tracking/counting.

For the time of flight technology to work correctly and the Vector to be able to count correctly it is important to install in the right place - see Field Of View, and Optimum Mounting Positioning, below.
For more details of the Time of Flight technology used in Vector, you can read more here.

 

Field Of View

A Vector has a in which it will track people around. It is important to understand what this means in terms of how big the field of view is and how much of it is usable

Details of the mounting height range and subsequent field of view are here.

 

Optimum Mounting Location

In the vast majority of cases, the Vector will be installed on the ceiling, looking directly down at the area next to the door. In this way, people will enter through the door and walk through the field of view and out the other side, and the other way around for those exiting through the door. Correct installation ensures the majority of the available field of view is available for tracking and counting.

Mounting the Vector 1m (3ft) back from the door is the recommended installation position in the vast majority of scenarios.

As long as the ceiling height is within the Vectors mounting height range - not too high, not too low - and there is nothing in the way, the recommendation is to always mount the Vector 1m (3ft) back from the door. By doing this, a person will have to traverse most of the field of view when they enter or leave, which gives plenty of line positioning options later when you come to configure it.

Most importantly, mounting 1m back from the door ensures that any movement associated with the opening of the door can be avoiding through setup.
For more details about optimum positioning and when you can install closer to the door and when you can install further away from the door, see here.

 

Awkward Installations

For more complicated installations where it is not possible to install 1m back from the door - because of ceiling furniture in the way, or a very low ceiling or no ceiling at all - see this section for more mounting options and information.

 

Vector Orientation

Once you have a good position to install, it must be mounted pointing the right way. 

There is a direction arrow on the base plate which should generally be pointed into the building, or into the room, but for more details of the Vector orientation see here.

 

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Importantly, if anything is blocking the Vectors field of view, a person cannot be tracked consistently and they may be missed crossing a count line or entering a zone.

Count lines and zones must be positioned correctly within the field of view so that people can be seen crossing them.

The most common reasons why a field of view may be blocked are because of ceiling furniture hanging below the Vector or the Vector being installed too close to the door/wall.

Lights, signs, and other objects which are hanging within the Vectors field of view will create gaps where people cannot be tracked, and will most likely cause count inaccuracies.

When a Vector is mounted too close to a door, the door itself - and most likely the wall above the door - will block a large part of the field of view.

When installed at the lower end of the mounting height range, the field of view will naturally be smaller and so mounting back from the door will mean there is more usable area in that field of view. Installation Vectors weigh approx. 550g so always use appropriate fixings to secure the base plate in place.

When correctly mounted back from the door, the counting lines can be configured optimally intercepting the centre of the field of view, whenever possible. Always be mindful of where count lines will work best within the scene when choosing a mounting location. (See separate section for more information about count line configuration).

If you can visualise where the lines might need to be to count someone, and there is space above that position to install the Vector, then all is well. Obviously the closer the Vector is to a door the usable field of view also becomes smaller. So, whenever possible, it makes sense to install a small distance from the door to maximise the amount of field of view in which to position your count lines.

A separate Excel spreadsheet calculator is available to assist with specifying and installing Vector devices.

 

Mounting Orientation

Because of the layout of the LED Illuminators and time of flight receiving sensor, it is strongly recommended that Vectors are mounted so that they are orientated pointing away from any externally facing door.

Note that the base plate that you fix to the ceiling has a direction arrow on it for this purpose. Orientating the arrow to point away from the door will ensure the device is installed correctly.
Where a Vector is installed at an internal doorway which leads from one part of the building to another (not an external entrance/exit), it is recommended that the Vector is pointed into the area of interest.

In most cases the Vector should be mounted central to the doorway, pointing straight down.

For more details of the correct Vector orientation see here. 

 

Installation

 

Take care not to distort the base by over tightening fixings, especially if using an electric screwdriver.
When sliding the Vector onto its base, ensure that the plastic clip clicks in place.