The precise recording of passenger numbers is essential for transport companies—it helps optimize timetables, make better use of capacities, and organize local public transport more efficiently.

A modern solution for this is camera-based passenger-counting. Intelligent image processing systems automatically and precisely record how many people board and alight—all without any manual counting. With Adigo nPax, the Norwegian company Adigo Mechatronics has developed such a system especially for ferries. An industrial camera from IDS Imaging Development Systems supplies the required images. But how exactly does this technology work, what advantages does it offer, and where is it already being used?

Application

International shipping regulations require ferry operators to know the exact number of passengers on board—a task that has traditionally been handled in conjunction with the ticketing process. However, in the course of automation, ferry boarding has increasingly shifted to free-flow models. Vehicles and passengers can drive or walk directly onto the ferry without traditional ticket controls or barriers. Automated systems such as cameras, sensors, or digital toll technologies record the vehicle’s license plate number or the amount of passengers in real time. The aim: a fast and smooth boarding process without long waiting times or manual checks.

However, counting passengers in moving vehicles is still a challenge that often requires staff—especially when there are large numbers of passengers or when small children are sitting in vehicles with tinted windows. This is where the Adigo nPax system comes in: Using a combination of a camera and AI-supported algorithms, it automatically records the number of passengers and transmits it directly to the ship’s logging system. The data are documented centrally and thus made available for authorities or internal processes. If necessary, the crew can check the count manually using a mobile device. Every correction helps to continuously improve the system.

Passenger counting with Adigo nPax

More efficiency, thanks to precise passenger data

With Adigo nPax, counting accuracy and operational efficiency can be significantly increased. Specially selected industrial cameras with customized lighting solutions reliably capture clear images—even at high vehicle speeds. The data are analyzed directly onsite: State-of-the-art AI models process the images in real time and immediately provide exact passenger numbers for every vehicle that passes through the system. In the interests of data security, all image data are used exclusively locally, on board. No external storage or transmission takes place—a prerequisite and a decisive contribution to protecting the privacy of passengers.

The system has been in use on the Arsvågen-Mortavika route for more than a year. André Ødegårdstuen, product developer at Adigo Mechatronics, says, “Control tests with hundreds of vehicles have shown a counting accuracy of over 98%. Despite challenges such as tinted windows, child-seat covers, and the changeable weather conditions that are typical of the Norwegian coast, Adigo nPax reliably delivers precise results.”

Adigo nPax immediately delivers exact passenger numbers for every vehicle that passes through the system.

Camera with exceptional light sensitivity

The camera used—a GigE uEye CP—was supplied by IDS. Its compact magnesium housing (29 x 29 x 29 mm) is both light and robust at about 50 g, and demonstrates the camera’s suitability for industrial use. It’s ideal for tasks in the fields of automation, medical technology and life sciences, agriculture, logistics, and traffic and transport.

Adigo relies on a particularly powerful model with an e2v 1.3 megapixel CMOS sensor—one of the most sensitive sensors in the IDS portfolio. In addition to the outstanding light sensitivity in CCD quality, it offers two global and rolling shutter variants that can be switched during operation, maximizing flexibility for changing requirements and environmental conditions. Furthermore, a maximum of four areas of interest are available. This allows either several characteristics to be checked simultaneously or the AOIs to be captured in an exposure series with different parameters.

Ødegårdstuen says, “The camera was specifically chosen because it has exceptional sensitivity in the critical wavelength range and delivers high-quality images at the required frame rates. Seamless integration into the Adigo nPax system was achieved through the IDS peak C++ interface, which enables robust and efficient operation.”

Selected industrial cameras with customized lighting solutions and AI reliably capture all passengers.

Outlook

Interest in automated passenger counting solutions is growing rapidly, not only in Adigo’s home market of Norway but also internationally. This is due to the increasing demand for efficient, data-driven solutions to optimize public transport. Automated systems, especially those based on camera technology, not only provide accurate passenger counts but also valuable insights into traffic flows, enabling better resource use. At a time when sustainability and efficiency are playing an increasingly important role in the public sector, such technologies are helping to make the transport sector fit for the future.

Camera model: uEye CP UI-5240CP Rev.2.2