Monitoring and counting of visitors in natural areas
In forests, along trails and forest roads, knowing how many people or vehicles pass is not just a curiosity: it is valuable information for land management, safety, and the planning of interventions.
This is why we have developed and tested dedicated systems for detecting and counting passages, capable of operating autonomously for weeks, even in demanding environmental conditions.
Trails
The detection of pedestrians started as a brand-new project. Initially, we tested a combined system using optical and microwave sensors, but in natural environments the latter proved too sensitive to vegetation movement and other disturbances, while target discrimination required software that was too complex for a low-power microcontroller.
Optical sensors, though promising, also showed limitations: reduced range, sensitivity to mountain UV sunlight, and less-than-optimal battery life.
We therefore arrived at a more robust solution: pressure sensors, mounted on plastic resin platforms with reinforcing ribs, measuring 40×40 cm, which can be placed on the ground or buried to remain invisible. Each low-power data logger can manage up to four platforms and records the date and time of each passage to the second, with the added ability to determine direction (uphill/downhill).
Forest Roads
For vehicles, we adapted standard sensors that detect metal masses, similar to those used in parking lots with entry/exit barriers. Reliable and widely used, these sensors are installed by burying the loop or antenna a few centimeters below the road surface.
At the core of the system is the data logger, housed together with the control circuit and the battery in a waterproof box or inspection pit near the loop. A 100Ah deep-cycle battery provides several weeks of autonomy. The data logger records the date and time of each passage to the second on an mSD card and generates CSV tables ready for analysis.
Each unit can manage up to three sensors or thresholds simultaneously, enabling the recording of movement direction (entry/exit). During field tests, we placed information boards with QR codes linking to a webpage explaining the project.
