Smart camera shows the number of visitors in Leuven’s library

One of the city’s intelligent tech measures against Covid-19

Since 18 July Leuven has been testing out a new solution for managing the number of visitors in one of its public library branches. As a pilot project against the spread of Covid-19, the Telly application will be monitoring how many people are in the reading halls –  a necessary task that is too challenging for humans.

All curious visitors are welcome, but they will be counted

Telly is a smart camera that keeps track of how many people are in a certain space. It measures the number of people entering and leaving the library via a small device at the entrance.

Everyone can follow a screen and see how many people are present and when the maximum number of visitors has been reached. In addition, the system analyses the data in accordance with privacy guidelines via an AI application. This provides the local authorities with statistics that map concentrations and predict peak moments over time.

The measure will be in place as a pilot until October 31 in the Wilsele branch of the public library. It is implemented via Cronos Leuven by Edgise, a Leuven-based start-up working on digital applications.

“It is an excellent opportunity for the library to experiment with digital applications and bring them closer to the visitor. All curious people are welcome, but they will be counted”, explained Elise Gazenbeek, head of the library branch reception.

The library is an open, accessible space where the number of visitors is constantly changing. As a precaution to curb the coronavirus, the number of visitors has been limited.

Unfortunately, the structure of the building in Wilsele does not make monitoring the total number of visitors easy. Until recently, shopping carts had been used, but Telly is believed to be able to make things a lot easier.