Public Spaces | Outdoor people counting
Outdoor people counting with TAC-B radar sensors
Outdoor public spaces are constantly changing – people gather at festivals, stroll along promenades, visit markets, or relax at beaches and monuments. Understanding how visitors move and how often they come is essential for improving infrastructure, keeping areas clean, and planning investments. SensMax TAC-B radar sensors deliver precise, anonymous statistics about outdoor visitor flow, even in places without electricity or fixed internet.
SensMax TAC-B radar sensors provide accurate, camera-free people counting for outdoor public spaces — plazas, parks, beaches and tourist areas. This solution helps municipalities measure visitor activity, plan services, and support Smart City analytics.
Outdoor visitor statistics for public areas such as plazas and promenades
Why people counting in public spaces matters
Reliable visitor statistics help municipalities, Smart City teams and event organisers understand how public areas are really used. Knowing how many people visit, when peak hours happen, and which places are most popular brings clear, practical benefits:
- Measure attendance and engagement at outdoor events and festivals.
- Plan cleaning, lighting and maintenance based on real visitor traffic.
- Evaluate tourism and marketing projects and justify funding requests.
- Support crowd management and operations at busy public venues.
- Monitor long-term usage trends for Smart City analytics and planning.
How the TAC-B 4G solution works
SensMax TAC-B 4G radar sensors use 60 GHz mmWave technology to detect movement, direction and speed without cameras or image recording. This ensures full GDPR compliance and complete privacy for visitors.
Each sensor covers up to ≈10 m distance with a 120° viewing angle (≈100 m² area). It detects and counts pedestrians and cyclists/scooters, and classifies movement as IN or OUT. You can set virtual counting lines across a promenade, park entrance or square and get live statistics on how many people pass in each direction.
The TAC-B 4G has a built-in 4G/LTE modem, so it sends data directly to the SensMax Cloud platform even where there is no fixed internet. If Wi-Fi is available, it can use Wi-Fi instead. For places without grid power, the SPS20 solar kit powers the sensor and stores energy in the internal battery.
System architecture
A typical public space deployment combines TAC-B 4G radar sensors, SPS20 solar power kits and the SensMax Cloud analytics platform.
- Sensor layer – TAC-B 4G radar detects pedestrians and cyclists/scooters, counts IN/OUT directions and stores events on an internal microSD card if connectivity is lost.
- Connectivity layer – built-in 4G/LTE sends data from remote sites without fixed internet; Wi-Fi can be used where local networks are available.
- Power layer – 12 V DC or SPS20 solar power kit for off-grid locations with no electricity.
- Cloud & analytics layer – SensMax Cloud stores and processes all counts, shows real-time dashboards and generates reports.
- Integration layer – REST API, MQTT and webhooks allow Smart City platforms, BI tools and GIS systems to use visitor data in external dashboards.
Typical data flow: TAC-B sensor → 4G/Wi-Fi → SensMax Cloud → dashboards, reports, integrations.
Key benefits
- Made for public spaces. Suitable for beaches, plazas, promenades, markets and heritage sites.
- High accuracy. Vendor data shows ≈99 % accuracy at ≈1 person/m² and >93 % at ≈3 persons/m² with correct installation.
- Privacy-safe by design. No filming, no images, 100 % GDPR-compliant people counting.
- No fixed power or internet needed. Built-in 4G and SPS20 solar kit enable fully off-grid installations.
- Real-time analytics. Cloud dashboards with live visitor statistics and automated reports.
- Flexible mounting. Works on lamp posts, gates, poles or temporary structures.
- Low maintenance. IP68 housing, no lens to clean, and remote configuration via the cloud.
Use case examples
- Beaches and waterfronts. Count daily visitors and seasonal trends to plan cleaning schedules and lifeguard shifts.
- Outdoor festivals and markets. Measure visitor numbers and event performance with real-time dashboards.
- Pedestrian streets and city plazas. Understand traffic flow to improve layout, lighting and safety.
- Tourist and heritage sites. Evaluate visitor pressure on open-air monuments and historic grounds.
- Public transport forecourts. Count people at outdoor bus, tram or ferry areas to support planning.
Outdoor people counting and visitor statistics for beach and waterfront areas
Performance and accuracy
Each TAC-B 4G radar sensor covers ≈100 m² (up to ≈10 m distance and ≈120° angle). It counts pedestrians and cyclists/scooters in both directions and keeps high accuracy even in changing weather. According to vendor tests, accuracy reaches about 99 % at ≈1 person/m² and stays above 93 % at ≈3 persons/m², assuming proper mounting and configuration.
Integration & data analytics
The SensMax Cloud platform provides interactive graphs, occupancy views and detailed reports for each sensor, line or area. Data can be viewed online, exported to CSV/PDF or pushed to other systems.
- Access dashboards via a web browser from any location.
- Receive automated email reports for daily, weekly or monthly periods.
- Use REST API and MQTT to feed visitor data into Smart City platforms, GIS maps and BI tools.
- Trigger webhooks when visitor counts reach defined thresholds.
Installation
TAC-B 4G radar sensors are mounted on lamp posts, gates or poles at around 2.5–3 m height. The sensor should “look” across the area where you want to count people, for example a promenade, beach entrance or plaza edge.
- Power options: 12 V DC from local power or the SPS20 solar kit for sites without electricity.
- Connectivity: built-in 4G/LTE for remote areas; Wi-Fi can be used where available.
- Setup: basic configuration from a mobile phone or laptop; lines and zones are defined in the cloud interface.
- Protection: IP68 housing and wide operating temperature range for all-season outdoor use.
TAC-B 4G radar with SPS20 solar kit – people counting where there is no electricity or fixed internet
FAQ — Common questions
1. Where can TAC-B 4G sensors be used outdoors?
They are suitable for parks, beaches, promenades, city plazas, tourist areas and event venues — anywhere you need accurate, anonymous people counting in public spaces.
2. What happens if there is no fixed internet on site?
The TAC-B 4G has a built-in 4G/LTE modem. It sends data over a mobile network, so you can install sensors even in places without Wi-Fi or wired internet.
3. Do the sensors require grid power?
No, they can run from the SPS20 solar power kit. This is useful for beaches, parks, trails and other places where there is no electricity.
4. How long can the SPS20 solar kit power the sensor?
The internal battery stores enough energy for 64–85 hours, depending on sunshine, temperature and traffic intensity. This gives a safe buffer for nights and low-light periods.
5. Is performance affected by weather?
No, TAC-B radar sensors are IP68-rated and work in rain, snow, fog, bright sunlight and total darkness.
6. How accurate is the counting?
With correct installation, the system can reach about 99 % accuracy at ≈1 person/m² and above 93 % at ≈3 persons/m², based on vendor test data.
7. How often do sensors need maintenance?
In most cases, no regular maintenance is required. There are no camera lenses to clean, and configuration changes can be made remotely from the cloud.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Description |
| Detection area | up to ≈10 m range / ≈120° field (≈100 m²) |
| Accuracy (vendor data) | ≈99 % at ≈1 person/m²; >93 % at ≈3 persons/m² |
| Mounting height | 2.5–3 m on lamp posts, gates or poles |
| Connectivity | 4G/LTE modem; Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz; REST API, MQTT, webhooks via SensMax Cloud |
| Power supply | 12 V DC or SPS20 solar power kit |
| Operating conditions | -20 °C … +65 °C, IP68 weatherproof |
| Detected objects | Pedestrians, cyclists, scooters |
| Local storage | Internal microSD card for buffering during connectivity loss |
Devices for this solution
Outdoor mmWave radar people counter with built-in 4G/LTE modem for public spaces without fixed internet.
Wi-Fi radar people counter for outdoor paths and promenades where a local Wi-Fi network is available.
Solar power kit with internal battery for autonomous TAC-B operation at sites without electricity.
Download PDF documents
Ready to Get Started?
Have questions about installation, accuracy or system integration in public spaces? Our team can help you choose the right configuration of TAC-B sensors and SPS20 solar kits for your project.
Use the contact form at the top of this page to reach us — we respond quickly and can prepare a quote or technical consultation for your application.
