A network of 34 sensors have been installed in Venice, Italy, which will detect the silhouettes of anyone passing underneath and can identify whether they are children or adults. The new system will also make it possible to intercept the data of telephone cells to know where people have come from and how long they stay in the city.
The local council says this will be done “in absolute respect for privacy”.
The experiment is now underway to coincide with this month’s Carnival which began on February 8th and continues until the 25th.
Tourism councillor Paoloa Mar said it had become imperative to monitor the flow of visitors to Venice which has been worried for some time about saturation at certain times and locations. The floating city attracts around 60,000 tourists a day.
He said: “The system will use a mix of sensors, cameras and wifi to constantly monitor the situation with a data release every 25 hundredths of a second.
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It hasn’t been specified how visitors will be deterred from visiting congested sites although the information will be shared on the social network sites.
Venice council says such a system has never been tested before in a city.
The authority is stressing that the sensors only detect the silhouettes of people, without identifying them. They do measure their height, the speed of movement and the density.
A spokesman said: “In this way, we will be able to know in real time which are the most crowded areas, anticipating any congestion.
“The project will also make it possible to intercept the data of the telephone cells and to know the origin of the people, in absolute respect for privacy.
“In the analysis phase, therefore, we will have the opportunity to understand where visitors come from and how long they stop in the city.”
The recording is not the only measure Venice is using to track and combat visitor numbers to the city.
Venice’s new access fee is coming into operation on July 1st when different coloured stamps at varying prices will be necessary to enter.
There have also been protests against large cruise ships by locals, who say they are ruining the historic city.
These protests have led to a ban on the ships, starting from April 2020.
Paola De Micheli, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, said: “We are working to remove large cruise ships from San Marco by April 2020.
“The solution is not simple, but must be fast, taking into account environmental factors, nautical traffic and economic consequences”.
Additional reporting by Rita Sobot