Visitor management during COVID-19

About dimedis
dimedis stands for digital media distribution. Founded in Cologne in 1996, the software company develops web-based software solutions. Its main focus is on digital signage, digital wayfinding, and visitor and entrance management for trade fairs and events. These sectors are covered by these main products: kompas digital signage, kompas wayfinding, ViCo and FairMate.
Challenge
Like most other places open to the public, the Cologne Zoo was faced with the challenge of fulfilling the regulatory requirements regarding the maximum number of visitors allowed in at any point in time. Moreover, it was the zoo‘s clear aspiration to protect the health of their visitors and staff in the best way possible.
Manually counting the number of people entering and exiting the different animal houses and wildlife areas would require additional staff, leading to an increase in operating costs and posing an unnecessary risk to employee safety.
The journey continues
Indira Gandhi International Airport has emerged as the second safest airport in the world by Trip Barometer and ACI Health Accreditation for its consistent effort to provide a safe and healthy environment to its flyers. With the aviation market picking up pace again, IDDS is looking forward to reaching more airports with strategic locations in India, which act as a hub for many smaller airports (leading to long wait times at peak hours), such as Guwahati, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.
Xovis endeavors to continue its successful partnership with all three airports, as specific needs evolve and new challenges emerge. Even as the global economy changes, together with technology, we can make sure these changes are for the better and for everyone.
Solution
ViCo’s automated control admission system, powered by Xovis technology, solves the problems associated with ensuring physical distancing and manual counting. By providing accurate real-time people counting data, ViCo empowers the Cologne Zoo to seamlessly manage admission. Depending on how many people are already in the building, a traffic light system informs the visitors whether they can enter or whether they must wait.

When the maximum number of visitors has been reached, the traffic light changes from green to red. The zoo’s staff can set the maximum permissible number of visitors via the ViCo service app and are able to manually intervene in the access control system at any time. Further expansion is planned with the installation of Xovis‘ waterproofed outdoor sensors at the Aquarium. Furthermore, all traffic lights will be equipped with loudspeakers to also acoustically keep the visitors up-to-date.
See the system in action at the zoo: www.xovis.com/koelnerzoo
Benefits
Cologne Zoo installed the ViCo solution at three of their animal houses and can now fully control admission, automatically and reliably, in a cost-efficient manner. During these strange times, the solution supports the zoo in protecting the health of their visitors and staff.
The Cologne Zoo is entirely convinced that the newly integrated solution will prove its usefulness beyond the current pandemic. It allows the zoo to easily deduce how many visitors are present when and at which locations. This in turn lets visitors know where to go next.
Beyond protecting the health of visitors and staff during these times, the implemented solution enables us to take targeted measures to better manage people flow and enhance the experiences at our Zoo.
Solutions for people flow
Our effective and tailored solutions keep track of people flow. From passengers at airport terminals to train platforms and from visitors at shopping malls to smart buildings, we enhance a smooth and safe journey.