Listen to this articleXovis delivers award-winning person tracking technology based on its own 3D optical person tracking sensors. The company’s PC series sensors integrate complete video analytics processing on the sensor, guaranteeing data privacy and unmatched sample/penetration rates of up to 98% while delivering accurate, stable and reliable measurements under all lighting conditions. Below is our interview with Andreas Fähndrich, Managing Director of Xovis Airports:
Q: Andreas, tell us something more about Xovis and your history?
A: Xovis is a Swiss high-tech company that develops, manufactures and distributes award-winning person tracking technology based on our own portfolio of world-class 3D optical person tracking sensors.
After we have seen first rather unsuccessful attempts of airports using CCTV cameras for queue measurement, Xovis was founded in 2008 with a clear aim: to make Xovis the worldwide market leader in waiting time measurements and passenger flow analysis in airports.
Our still strongly growing airports business unit reached that aim last year; besides our retail business unit is establishing quickly the PC series 3D person tracking sensors as the industry standard for people counting in retail applications.
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Q: What makes Xovis unique in the market?
A: Today, 3D optical sensors are state-of-the art technology for people tracking and counting. Xovis PC series sensors integrate complete video analytics processing on the sensor, guaranteeing data privacy and unmatched sample/penetration rates of up to 98% while delivering accurate, stable and reliable measurements under all lighting conditions.
We have invested a lot in unique capabilities like “Multisensor” and “Automated Queue Detection”. Multisensor means that an unlimited number of sensors can be stitched together to an array, acting as one big sensor covering huge areas, whereas Automated Queue Detection allows the system to work properly in multi-queue areas such as check-in or retail cashiers. Situations where for example tensa barriers are constantly reconfigured are no problem for our system.
The unique PC series portfolio includes a total of 9 sensor types to match every possible height requirement up to 20 meters and provides a variety of accessories and housing types to fit all architectural needs.
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Q: Your Passenger Tracking System (PTS) is currently the market leader for passenger tracking and flow analysis systems; could you explain the function and advantages of your PTS?
A: The PC series sensors form together with our airports software suite the Xovis PTS Passenger Tracking System: the sensors track the passengers and send anonymized moving coordinates of the passengers to the server-software, which calculates the KPIs and generates the real-time dashboards and reports.
Xovis PTS is designed to be the one system airports need to serve all real-time passenger flow and queue measurement purposes:
It measures all KPIs, including not only waiting times and queue fill levels, but also very accurately predicted waiting times, process times and throughput at any assets, such as desks or control lines, as well as precise opening and closing times per asset, etc.
Xovis PTS can cover all airport areas and assets: from check-in to passport control, security search areas, retail, people mover, customs, baggage reclaim, taxi ranks, etc.
Drivers for quality airports to invest in Xovis PTS are various:
One is for sure improving passenger experience. An important aspect of it is expectation management: if an airport is capable of showing accurate predicted waiting times to passengers, either on screens or on mobile apps, passengers know what they have to expect and keep their calm while flowing through the airport. Long queues do not necessarily mean long waiting times: If a passenger has to wait for a longer time, it is much more acceptable if this is known to him or her in advance.
Further on, airports can use real-time passenger flow data and information to dynamically route passengers through their facilities, aided by digital signage. This helps airports to balance the load on their facilities, and tactically steering the passenger flows.
Real-time passenger flow data, combined with other data sources, also support digital strategies of airports and can create very interesting new business cases.
Finally yet importantly, optimizing the usage of existing capacity instead of building new one needs data, data, data.
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Q: What are your plans for next six months?
A: Our technology is a commercial-off-the-shelf product, thus we are constantly improving both the sensors firmware and the software suite. Soon we are launching the all-new web-client and mobile apps, which puts the Xovis dashboards to the fingertips of our customers.
Besides this, we are working on several exciting projects, which will create substantial benefit to existing deployments of our system. One of these projects I can disclose here: it is a 24h forecasting technology, which will put airports in the position of acting before long queues appear. It will forecast passenger arrival rates and propose optimized desk and line opening patterns, based on big data analysis and self-tuning models.
Q: What’s the best thing about Xovis that people might not know about?
A: The Xovis’ promise of Swiss Made Quality includes long-life hardware quality, unmatched tracking and counting accuracy as well as highest environmental robustness and ease of use. A sophisticated data privacy concept with four different data privacy modes ensures a broad field of applications.
But from biggest importance: our team shares a unique spirit and passion for what we are doing, resulting in true dedication for our products and customers. I am aware that all companies claim that, therefore contact me and challenge us on that promise!
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