Keine Lichtschranke: Wie trailpulse auch bei dichtem Verkehr einzeln zählt

Trail managers and stakeholders often ask: What happens when several cyclists or pedestrians pass in quick succession? Does it count as one passage or are they all recorded individually? The answer matters for planning – and it has to do with a familiar comparison: the light barrier.

Light barrier: one interruption, one count

Many people know counting systems that use a light barrier – for example at entrances or simple passage counters. When the beam is interrupted, you get one count. If two bikes or two people pass through very close together, the interruption is often registered only once. Result: two users, one count. On paths and trails where groups or dense traffic are common, a simple light barrier often undercounts.

trailpulse: signal patterns instead of just “interrupted”

trailpulse does not rely on a single light beam. Sensors in the mat capture vibration and pressure. From these signals, characteristic patterns emerge – depending on whether a bike, a foot, or several users pass through in short succession. The system recognises these patterns and can tell individual passages apart even when they are very close in time. So trailpulse counts per bike or per person, not per “interruption”.

That is especially relevant where traffic is high: busy trails, cycle paths, or hiking routes. More accurate numbers mean better foundations for maintenance, visitor management, and capacity planning.