Glossary

A process where organizations compare occupancy data across multiple locations to identify trends and standardize best practices.

A smart system that adjusts heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) settings based on real-time occupancy data to optimize energy use and comfort.

A virtual model of a physical space that integrates real-time occupancy data, allowing businesses to simulate and analyze different spatial configurations.

A strategy where buildings optimize lighting, heating, and cooling based on real-time occupancy. By leveraging Butlr’s sensors, companies can reduce energy waste and lower operational costs.

A technology that identifies sudden changes in movement consistent with a fall and triggers an alert to caregivers, family members, or emergency services. Fall detection systems use motion sensors, accelerometers, and AI algorithms to differentiate between normal movements and actual falls.

If traffic sensors are installed at the floor entrances, with Butlr you get measurement aggregates of the counts from all main-entrance traffic sensors on the floor.

A remote system that tracks daily activities, environmental conditions, and safety factors within a home. Home monitoring solutions often use sensors and IoT devices to provide real-time insights into movement, energy use, and overall well-being, particularly for seniors living independently.

IoT-enabled occupancy sensing integrates Internet of Things (IoT) technology with occupancy sensors to enhance automation and real-time analytics in smart buildings. By capturing how people actually use a space, occupancy data forms the foundation for IoT devices to adapt and optimize environments based on real human behavior. This ensures that smart systems respond dynamically to actual needs, improving efficiency, comfort, and resource management.

The use of occupancy data to ensure meeting rooms are efficiently allocated, preventing underutilization and double-bookings.

A method of collecting environmental data without interfering with the natural use of a space. Butlr’s wireless, ceiling-mounted sensors operate without cameras or wearable devices, ensuring an unobtrusive experience.

Occupancy is the state of a space being in use by one or more people. It is often measured in real-time through sensors that detect human presence, providing data on how many people are in a specific area at a given time. Occupancy analytics helps organizations track space usage trends, optimize workforce management, and improve energy efficiency.

The process of analyzing real-time and historical occupancy data to optimize space utilization. This helps businesses make data-driven decisions about office layouts, energy efficiency, and workforce management.

Information collected by Butlr's sensors regarding the presence and number of people in a given space. This data helps organizations understand space utilization, traffic patterns, and dwell times to optimize resource allocation and improve operational efficiency.

A system that estimates the number of individuals in a space, usually installed at entry points of a given space. Butlr’s thermal sensors detect movement and body heat in two modes, presence and traffic, to deliver accurate occupancy metrics without compromising privacy. With one sensor, one can change between modes depending on the needs of their system.

A strategy that uses occupancy and movement data to reduce congestion in buildings, ensuring smooth traffic flow in high-usage areas.

Using historical occupancy data and AI to anticipate future space needs. Butlr’s technology helps businesses plan expansions, downsizing, and reconfigurations based on real-world usage patterns.

Presence Mode provides the number and coordinates of individuals within its coverage area. For best results, sensors should be mounted in open areas and meeting rooms using a Ceiling Mount. Occupancy is determined based on real-time detections.

The capability to monitor and report the presence of people in a space as it happens. Butlr’s sensors provide real-time insights that support smart building management and operational efficiency.

Room occupancy refers to the number of people detected in a specific room at a given time. There are two ways to measure room occupancy: traffic-based or presence-based. Each method uses a different approach depending on the available sensor data and the type of insights required. Butlr's sensors support both modes on the same hardware.

A sensor designed to enhance safety by detecting potential hazards or abnormal conditions, such as sudden falls, lack of movement, or environmental changes (e.g., temperature shifts, smoke, or gas leaks). In elderly care and home monitoring, safety sensors provide real-time alerts to caregivers or emergency services.

A subscription model offered by Butlr that provides access to their people-sensing platform, including hardware and software components, to monitor and analyze occupancy and activity within spaces.

The combination of multiple sensor types (e.g., thermal, motion, and environmental) to create a comprehensive understanding of space usage.

A site represents a group of buildings located within a contiguous area, such as a campus or city blocks, all within the same time zone. Organizations can manage one or multiple sites depending on their needs.

The process of connecting occupancy sensors with building management systems (BMS) to automate functions like lighting, HVAC, and security. Butlr’s API-first approach enables seamless integration with existing infrastructure. For more, please visit https://docs.butlr.io

A metric that quantifies how well a given area is utilized according to the business’ goals and design intentions, helping businesses optimize real estate investments.

Data-driven analysis of how spaces within a building are used over time. Butlr provides businesses with actionable insights to maximize efficiency, reduce unused space, and optimize real estate investments.

Insights derived from analyzing occupancy and movement data within a space. Butlr's technology provides spatial intelligence to help design human-centered environments, enhance productivity, and ensure safety without compromising individual privacy.

Spatial Metrics provide insights into how people interact with and move through physical spaces. This includes occupancy, movement trends, and potentially human behavior-related metrics. These metrics can be aggregated over various periods and filtered by floors, rooms, or zones to offer actionable insights.

A technology that detects heat signatures rather than visual imagery, enabling privacy-preserving occupancy monitoring. Butlr’s sensors use thermal sensing to anonymously track human presence and movement without capturing personally identifiable information.

Traffic measures the flow of people entering and leaving a space. It tracks entries (Ins) and exits (Outs), providing data that can be aggregated or filtered by floors, rooms, or zones. This metric relies on traffic sensors placed at key access points to monitor movement over time accurately.

Traffic Mode provides aggregated totals of ‘in’ and ‘out’ movements based on a sensor’s orientation, a user-defined door line, and the direction of entry. For optimal performance, sensors should be mounted above entrances using either a Wall Mount or Ceiling Mount. Occupancy is calculated based on the flow of people in and out.

A financial incentive offered by utility providers to educational institutions for implementing energy-efficient systems and practices. Colleges can receive rebates for upgrading HVAC systems, installing smart occupancy sensors, and reducing energy waste through automated building management.

Utilization refers to the extent to which a space, asset, or resource is actively used over a given period. In occupancy analytics, space utilization measures how efficiently a building, office, or room is occupied relative to its total capacity, helping organizations optimize layouts, reduce wasted space, and improve operational efficiency.

Sensors that do not require hardwired power or connectivity, making them easy to install and scale. Butlr’s Heatic™ sensors operate wirelessly, providing flexibility in deployment for new and existing buildings.

The process of using data-driven insights to create efficient and productive work environments. By analyzing occupancy patterns, companies can redesign office layouts, adjust HVAC usage, and implement hybrid work strategies.

In the Butlr system, a zone refers to a specific area within a space that is monitored independently, regardless of physical room divisions like walls. This allows for precise tracking of how different parts of an open or multi-use space are utilized. For example, in a large open area, zones might include a lounge with couches, a bar, or a workspace with desks. In a senior care setting, a zone could be defined around a bed within a larger room, ensuring focused monitoring where it matters most. By defining zones based on real usage rather than floor plan boundaries, Butlr provides more meaningful and context-aware occupancy insights.

Zone occupancy refers to the number of people detected in a specific zone at a given time. It is calculated by consolidating data from multiple presence sensors within the zone.