EUR is going to measure the occupancy and utilization of three lecture rooms in a pilot. With the help of sensors we can see how many people enter and leave the lecture rooms. These data are then compared with the timetable program TimeEdit. With this pilot we want to find out whether the measurements can help to make better use of the space.

What is being measured?

We use infrared sensors from supplier MeasureMen. These sensors send the following data to a central environment every few minutes:

  • Occupancy: is someone present in the room?
  • Traffic: number of people entering and leaving the room
  • Utilization: a combination of occupancy and traffic
  • Temperature
  • Humidity
  • Room where the sensor is connected to
  • Date and time

MeasureMen supplies the necessary sensors and the environment for data collection and reporting. The pilot is set up and carried out by the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) and the departments Erasmus Digitalisation & Information Services, Education & Student Affairs and Real Estate & Facilities.

The pilot will take place in teaching rooms Y3-14 and Y3-22 (Polak) and CB01 (Theil) and will run from 15 September to 22 December 2023, with the option to extend until 31 March 2024 at the latest.

Is personal data collected?

This pilot uses passive infrared sensors that are only capable of collecting climate data and detecting movement. The sensors do not collect personal data in any way. This means that the data collected with the sensors cannot be traced back to individuals.

Why are we doing this?

We will use the results of the pilot to see whether we want to structurally measure the occupancy and utilization of teaching rooms using sensor technology. The pilot is part of the Smart Campus project of the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA). In the Smart Campus Project real-life data will be used to make campus Woudestein more livable and sustainable. 

Part of the project is to experiment with the use of sensors to collect data on air pollution, indoor climate, people flows and heat distribution. In combination with other anonymized data about campus users and existing campus systems, issues will be addressed related to use of buildings and facilities, overall campus sustainability and health and wellbeing.

More information
Would you like to know more about the Smart Campus Project? More information can be found on the ECDA website. Do you have any questions about the pilot? Send an email to smartcampus@eur.nl.

Reposted from eur.nl.