The Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) are testing smart-camera technology from Azena at PPG Paints Arena to measure the fan experience in real time, allowing operational changes to be made on the fly.
A big goal of the technology, according to Azena, will be streamlining wait times at busy concession stands on game days in real time and leverage enhanced retail analytics in fan stores to increase arena retail sales. The operating platform for smart cameras integrates with existing video surveillance systems and provides ready-to-use AI-enhanced video analytics applications designed to run simultaneously directly on the camera and can be changed based on needs, much like on a smartphone.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins are very excited to see the benefits of the Azena analytics in action,” said Erik Watts, Chief Technology Officer for the Pittsburgh Penguins, said in a press release.
Using Azena queue detection applications on smart cameras from Azena partner VIVOTEK, the cameras can be used to detect lines at food and beverage stands as they form and notify employees to promptly increase staffing at busy checkouts, minimizing congestion and increasing sales. The Penguins can use the data gathered by the queue analytics application to streamline already installed touchless ordering system for mobile phones, which estimates wait time, directs fans to the kiosk where their order is ready, and integrates with POS systems to remove the order from the queue.
Besides reacting in real time, the new system could impact long-term planning as the data can identify trends in overall traffic on specific days, or times of day, enabling management to optimize staffing through actionable insights.