Getting physical in the 80's |
Motion detection can provide some basic viewership metrics |
Motion Sensors
Ultrasonic |
Ultrasonic
Pros: Can be used to determine the distance to the viewerCons: Reflections of the sound waves can cause false triggers
Passive Infrared (PIR)
Infra |
Cons: Sensitive to heat which can mean any heat emitting object will trigger
Camera
Pros: Very easy to implement when using an integrated cameraCons: Anything within the view of the camera will potentially trigger
Revel Digital Integration
Ultrasonic sensor embedded in display |
On the software side, Revel Digital provides a number of methods including Smart Scheduling and custom scripting for dynamically adjusting your signage based on sensor input. Simple scenarios like an attract screen can easily be accomplished with Smart Scheduling and requires no scripting or custom coding whatsoever. More advanced interactions much as adjusting the volume of the display based on distance to the viewer may require a few lines of scripting. Either way, all of the logic is fully customizable and able to be modified at any time using the Revel Digital CMS.
Demonstration
Our demo will utilize the integrated camera in an All-in-One (AIO) Android system for triggering an 'attract screen'. We will be using the motion detection with Smart Scheduling in order to conditionally play a template when motion is detected.
Hardware
The only hardware we need is the Android AIO itself since it already includes the camera.
The camera will now detect any movement and automatically switch your digital signage content to the template specified in your schedule.
Step 1:
Register your Android AIO player with your Revel Digital account. If you are new to Revel Digital look here to get your first device registered.
Step 2:
With your player registered in Revel Digital and running, attach a keyboard and press Shift-F12 to access the player settings. We need to toggle the Camera Mode to Motion Detection.
Step 3:
Create a couple Smart Schedules for both the attract screen and the content we want to play when motion is detected. We will assume you have content in the form of a playlist or template already created for this purpose.
First the Attract schedule. Login to your Revel Digital account and go to Schedules. Create a new Smart Schedule and name it 'Attract'. This is the default schedule that will play whenever there is no motion detected and simply plays the specified content Always.
Now we need a second schedule that is triggered by the motion detection. For this we create a new Smart Schedule and call it 'Motion Detect'. This schedule will contain a When condition for motion detection. It's important to set the priority of this schedule to High.
Step 3:
Create a couple Smart Schedules for both the attract screen and the content we want to play when motion is detected. We will assume you have content in the form of a playlist or template already created for this purpose.
First the Attract schedule. Login to your Revel Digital account and go to Schedules. Create a new Smart Schedule and name it 'Attract'. This is the default schedule that will play whenever there is no motion detected and simply plays the specified content Always.
Attract schedule |
Motion detected schedule |
End Result
Conclusion
Motion detection is an easy method for increasing the effectiveness of your digital signage. Context awareness in the form of viewer presence is a powerful tool especially when combined with targeted content. For more information or for help getting started with your project, feel free to contact us.