How are public spaces used in a city? What are the popular spots in a shopping mall? Which transit routes are popular and how long do people wait in different stops at different times of the day? These are questions
that are important to various planners of cities, malls, and public transit operators. The Paradrop project provides a unique and common platform to answer these questions. Paradrop is an edge computing platform that installs unique techniques to detect how people use various spaces in different environments. The solution is implemented in software and uses special Paradrop Wi-Fi Access Points and city-deployed sensors (e.g.,
audio sensors and RF sensors) to detect how busy different cafes and shops are across different times of the day, passengers use of city transit buses and stops, and many other related topics. The system is being deployed in downtown Madison, WI, in partnership with the City, a few local stores, and the local public transit service.

The Paradrop platform will provide much needed insights for businesses and cities to understand the activities of the population, while also providing key quality of living metrics for populations such as noise pollution and public safety.