About

What is the McMatcher?

The McMatcher device is a matchbox sized device containing a battery, data storage and a sensor which can detect wi-fi and Bluetooth signals which are emitted from wi-fi and Bluetooth enabled devices.

The McMatcher can detect where the signal is located in a zone around the McMatcher.

The McMatcher uses these signals to determine how people travel through urban environments.

 

How Does the McMatcher Work?

If we deploy lots of McMatcher devices across an area we can use the signals emitted by mobile devices to anonymously determine how people move through complex urban environments.

We don't need to collect any personal data to model pedestrian flow, and the devices will not tell us anything personal about people in the area covered by the McMatchers. We will not be able to identify individual people from the data we collect.

 

Why is Understanding Pedestrian Flow Important?

Understanding pedestrian flow enables:

• Better urban design, planning, and space optimisation
• Better crowd management and evacuation plans
• Enhanced accessibility and safety

 

 

How the McMatcher Compares to Other Data Collection Methods

There are several other ways that we can gain an understanding of how people move through environments, including manual observation, survey and questionnaire, and analysis of CCTV data.

CCTV

Advantages

• High accuracy

Disadvantages

• High cost
• High complexity
• High cata volume
• Privacy concerns
• Can be affected by lighting and occlusion

Surveys and Questionnaires

Advantages

• Moderate cost
• Moderate complexity

Disadvantages

• Self-reported information so may be subject to bias
• Response rates may be low
• Time-consuming to analyse.

Manual Observation

Advantages

• Low cost
• Easy to implement

Disadvantages

• Labour-intensive
• Potential for human error
• Give limited data