The Thermal Activity Sensor (TAS) from thermal sensor manufacturer Ulis has been selected by Irlynx SA for integration in its People Sense advanced smart building device. Irlynx will field test Ulis’ thermal sensor in several pilot studies it is undertaking with GE Digital, Nexity and SNCF, among other smart occupancy and people counting projects linked to optimizing open space areas and reducing building footprint. According to Yole Développement, the global market for IR sensors in smart homes and buildings is expected to grow from $694 million in 2016 to $1.1 billion in 2022. Both Ulis and Irlynx manufacture thermal vision products to meet emerging needs in workspace management, energy management, security and safety. "Ulis is pleased to enable deployment and testing of a people counting solution using its newly designed Thermal Activity Sensor,” said Hien Pham Gia, sales and marketing director at Ulis. “Irlynx has provided Ulis with additional opportunities to obtain valuable end-user feedback based on real-life experiences. This will allow us to confirm the key benefits of our sensor, as well as further strengthen its value proposition for facility managers.” Irlynx developed the electronics as well as the algorithm for the TAS to perform thermal video data analysis and to activate the people counting function. Irlynx’s task was made easier because the algorithm could access raw data directly from the Ulis sensor, eliminating the need for Irlynx to carry out complex calibrations. “Irlynx was looking for a partner with great technology and a good understanding of our markets where cost is key,” said Guillaume Crozet, vice president of sales and marketing at Irlynx. “Ulis demonstrated that it could adapt its offer and address this challenge. Its technology allows us to deliver an unmatched value proposition to the smart building market, with a greater performance/price ratio than any existing people counting solution. We also deliver advanced human activity data such as people’s position and trajectories, and desk occupancy, increasingly of great interest among our customers.” Ulis, a subsidiary of Sofradir, specializes in designing and manufacturing innovative thermal image sensors for the defense, surveillance, thermography, firefighting, outdoor leisure and automotive markets. Irlynx is a designer, developer and marketer of human activity sensing solutions.