Density vs. Occuspace: choosing a plug-in sensor for small meeting rooms

Density Waffle distinguishes individual use from group use in small rooms. It reports zero, one, two or three-plus people, with live and historical occupancy data. Density Instant adds interactive charts for exploring workplace questions, such as whether meeting rooms mainly serve individuals or groups. Explore Waffle and see Instant.

Occuspace Micro is a current alternative for enclosed meeting rooms and phone booths. Both products use radar. Compare their reported counts, installation requirements and the reports included in each proposal.

Compare the room sensor, not the whole brand

Occuspace Micro uses mmWave sensing to count people. Its product page currently lists counts from zero to seven-plus, powered operation without batteries, and no dedicated Wi-Fi connection. It offers a demonstration and price estimate.

That differs from Occuspace Macro, which detects nearby Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals and uses cloud machine learning to turn those patterns into occupancy estimates. Macro targets larger areas.

For the small-room decision, compare Waffle with Micro. Both offer camera-free room measurement.

Decide whether you need presence, categories or higher counts

An occupied-or-empty signal can answer whether someone is physically in a booth. Separating one person from a group supports a different decision: whether meeting rooms are serving collaboration or individual work.

Waffle's published zero/one/two/three-plus categories support that distinction. Three-plus combines larger groups; it cannot tell you whether a six-person room contains four people or six. If that difference determines your decision, require a demonstrated output that resolves it.

Occuspace's current Micro page lists zero to seven-plus. Ask both vendors to demonstrate the output for the model and software being quoted, including how counts above the published threshold appear in reports. Compare the result with the detail your planning decision needs.

Density is a strong starting point when individual-versus-group use answers the planning question. An exact larger headcount requires a separate evaluation.

Make installation requirements visible

Waffle's installation instructions describe USB-C power, a nearby outlet, a compatible mounting surface and an iPhone or iPad with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for the Density Spaces app. Mount the sensor with a clear view, then configure the measurement zone. Its product specifications list dual-band Wi-Fi with WPA2 PSK.

Micro's current page advertises plug-and-play operation without dedicated Wi-Fi or setup. Confirm the proposed power arrangement and how data reaches the platform. “No dedicated Wi-Fi” does not, by itself, describe the complete communications path. Obtain the Micro-specific installation instructions with the proposal.

Both vendors promote simple deployment. Published installation-time claims are vendor claims, not a matched test of your rooms. Compare the complete path from opening the box to reviewing useful data, including mounting, network approval, room assignment and verification.

Establish a useful baseline

Ask both vendors which commissioning and calibration steps apply to your proposed deployment, who completes them and how you know the room is ready for reporting. Keep those steps in the installation plan alongside the room name and sensor location.

Then collect enough working days to answer your question. That observation period is different from sensor calibration. One successful installation does not establish how your rooms behave across a normal week. Choose a representative period and keep the same room definitions when comparing use before and after a change.

Ask for the report before ordering the rollout

Consider a four-person meeting room repeatedly occupied by one person. The decision might be whether to add a phone booth or preserve the room for groups. This is an illustrative scenario, not a measured customer result.

Ask Density to demonstrate that investigation in Instant: choose the rooms and dates, inspect the occupancy categories, then explain what the chart supports. Occuspace also offers occupancy analytics and availability information; request an equivalent demonstration using Micro data and confirm the included reporting.

Before expanding, compare known empty, solo and group conditions in one representative room. Include a seated person and activity outside the intended boundary. Record discrepancies and resolve placement or configuration questions. This is a proposed buyer check, not a product benchmark.

Book a demo or email sales@density.io to review Waffle's setup and the Instant report for your rooms. Bring the question you need answered and the count detail it requires.

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