What are office sensors?

Office sensors are sensing devices that gather various data about the environment. They are built to detect even smallest changes in the environment and provide data on things like air quality, room and desk usage, and people presence.

Office sensors can be grouped into five main categories: environmental sensors, light sensors, occupancy monitoring sensors, and visitor counting sensors.

In this article, we explore each of these categories and outline how sensors can help to support office and facility management operations.

1. Environmental sensors

The most common type of office sensor is the environmental sensor. As the name suggests, environmental sensors enable indoor environmental conditions monitoring of the office. This includes temperature, humidity, noise, and the indoor air quality conditions. Environmental data helps to ensure the proper operations of the HVAC system and maintain good working conditions in the office. 

Temperature sensors monitor changes in temperature in their vicinity. Sensors that are capable of temperature monitoring and are connected to a HVAC system or a central thermostat can notify if the temperature goes above or below a certain temperature threshold. 

Humidity sensors measure the level of moisture in the air. Similarly to temperature sensors, humidity sensors are usually connected to a HVAC system or a de-humidification system and can notify of the abnormal humidity levels. 

Indoor air quality sensors measure the air conditions, including the levels of CO2, PM2.5, and TVOCs. Good air quality in the office is important not only for the employees’ well-being, but for their productivity too. 

Noise sensors are used to measure the noise levels in the area. A noise sensor uses a microphone to detect noise anonymously, without recording anything. Noise sensors in the office can help people to find a suitable place for their working needs, as well as to maintain noise on a desired level in different areas.

2. Light sensors

Light sensors are devices that detect the amount of visible light from the surroundings or a light source. These sensors measure illuminance and the unit of measurement is lux.

Light sensors help to monitore the brightness of an area in an office, for example. This has a use case for both the building tenant and the building owner. The tenant can seek the most suitable working environment for their working needs, and the building owner can gather data on how the lighting affects the space usage. 

3. Occupancy Sensors

Occupancy sensors detect people presence and can be placed in meeting rooms, phone booths or any other areas where you wish to measure occupancy and usage levels. 

Occupancy sensors have emerged as a key tool for offices seeking to maximize space usage and enhance employee well-being. By placing these devices throughout the workplace, businesses can gather real-time occupancy monitoring data to identify patterns of desk, conference room, and communal area usage.

This data empowers facility managers to make informed decisions about resource allocation, such as rearranging working spaces or adding more meeting rooms.

As a result, implementing a comprehensive occupancy monitoring strategy not only boosts operational efficiency but also creates a more comfortable environment for employees, encouraging collaboration and productivity.

Let’s take a closer look on this and other sensor technology types that are available. 

Passive Infrared (PIR) Occupancy Sensors

Occupancy sensors are usually based on the Passive InfraRed (PIR) technology that detects motion by receiving infrared radiation. The term “passive” refers to the fact that PIR devices do not radiate energy for detection purposes. Instead, they detect infrared radiation (radiant heat) emitted by objects or people. In practice, this means that they are triggered by human motion and movement. 

Here is an example of the PIR sensor used for office desk. When there is no change in heat or movement detected by the sensor, the status is set to zero and the desk shows in visualization application as vacant. When the sensor detects motion or heat, the status changes to one, showing that the desk is now in use by someone. 

This type of occupancy sensors are the most suitable for the office, because they detect occupancy completely anonymously. Data they collect can not be used to identify the person, since it is only movement and heat. They do not record any photos or video and therefore are GDPR compliant and preserve people privacy . 

PIR sensors are also relatively cheap and easy to install. With wireless options available on the market, like Haltian’s Occupancy Sensor, the installation is done in a few seconds, without any disruptions to the existing IT infrastructure. 

UWB and RFID -based Systems

Ultra-wideband (UWB) or RFID sensors and tags are another way to track occupancy in your office. They require the users to carry a small transmitter, known as a tag, which can be, for example, integrated into the employees’ badge. 

UWB and RFID both work similarly: receivers are deployed in the space, which together with the transmitters do a triangulation of the location of the tag. UWB is the newer technology of these two and is, therefore, more accurate than RFID. 

UWB and RFID-based monitoring differ from the PIR and thermal sensors as it is not passive and shifts the responsibility of occupancy monitoring to the employees carrying the transmitters. 

Like the thermal sensors the general range of these systems is not large (5-10m), and therefore you need a lot of receivers to cover your office space. Due to the lack of choices in the market, this kind of occupancy monitoring can get expensive fast. 

Camera-based Occupancy Sensors

Camera-based occupancy sensors use one or more cameras, often integrated with computer vision algorithms, to detect how many people are present in a given space. Unlike PIR or thermal sensors, camera-based solutions analyze actual image data, allowing for potentially greater accuracy in counting individuals and understanding patterns of movement. These sensors can be placed at entry points, hallways, or ceilings and use software that processes the images—either on the device (edge computing) or in the cloud—to recognize people, measure occupancy density, and sometimes even track foot traffic flows within the office.

Camera-based occupancy sensors often raise privacy concerns as they capture and sometimes store identifiable images, requiring careful compliance with regulations such as GDPR. They also tend to be more expensive than simpler solutions, often involving advanced hardware, licensing fees, and AI-driven software. Furthermore, installing and maintaining camera-based systems can be complex, from optimizing camera placement and managing lighting conditions to ensuring robust network connectivity.

4. People Counting Sensors

People counting sensors, or visitor counters, are sensors typically installed at the entrances or entryways to monitoring the number of people passing through. They provide additional data on how the space is used and when the traffic reaches its highest and lowest points.

There are several methods by which people counting sensors can collect data: thermal, video, break-beam or time-of-flight and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-based methods. Thermal sensors work by detecting body heat as visitors go past the sensor and video-based solutions capture foot traffic by visual detection.

Break-beam-based sensors detect the motion of the visitors by sending a beam of light and registering each time the beam is crossed. Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-based sensors on the other hand rely on connecting with the visitors’ mobile devices and calculating foot traffic from there.

No matter which technology used, visitor counting sensors help to understand how much traffic is in each area and when. Such data enables to evaluate office or building design and to decide how people flow can be optimized.

5. Sensors for on-demand cleaning

Installing occupancy and people counting sensors in office washrooms can provide understanding on how much each area of the workplace is used and so requires cleaning. Additionally, with fill-level monitoring sensors installed in waste bins, towel dispensers, or soap containers, it is possible to see when the consumables are running out and need refill. Together, these three sensor groups—people-flow, point-occupancy, and fill-level—form a basic toolkit for data-driven cleaning operations.

The information they generate enables a shift from rigid, timetable-based rounds to demand-based tasks. This reduces redundant visits, lowers water and chemical use spend on cleaning areas that haven’t been used, and helps to keep critical supplies available for employees.

Deploying a small set of sensors can turn cleaning into a measurable, adaptable process—improving hygiene, resource efficiency, and overall user experience without relying on guesswork.

Practical applications of office sensors

Office sensors have a great number of practical applications, all aimed at improving your working space: 

• Monitoring operational capacity limits and measure the effectiveness of space usage
• Gaining data on space utilization to optimize office design and people flows
• Supporting the adoption of hybrid working models, such as sharing of desks between employees
• Optimizing the lightning use based on the actual occupancy
• Controlling operations of the HVAC systems and ensuring its proper function based on the air quality data from sensors in different office
• Automating check-in for office and conference room reservations, when integrated with reservation and booking applications
• Data-driven cleaning support, by monitoring garbage bins and washroom supplies’ levels, as well as cleaning only those spaces that have been in use based on the occupancy data. 

Beside these use cases, office sensors can provide other tangible business benefits that are outlined in the following section.

Benefits of using office sensors

When deployed effectively, office sensors yield numerous practical benefits that no other solution can provide. First and foremost, they facilitate data-driven design decisions, allowing facility managers to monitor usage patterns accurately and reconfigure seating arrangements, meeting rooms, and communal spaces according to the actual demand. Studies indicate that companies implementing integrated sensor systems can reduce unused workspace by up to 40%, significantly lowering overhead costs while tailored layouts enhance overall employee satisfaction. With real-time data on occupant flow, businesses can also experiment with flexible working models—such as hot desking or co-working areas—leading to more collaborative environments and better resource allocation.

From an energy management perspective, advanced monitoring technology can trigger lights or HVAC systems to power down when areas become unoccupied, cutting energy consumption by average of 20–30%, like NHS Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) was able to do by integrating sensors and BMS. This lowers carbon footprints and contributes to corporate sustainability initiatives.

Implementing office sensors can further support predictive maintenance. As a result, organizations can enhance workplace comfort, ensure seamless operations, and foster a safer, cleaner environment. Ultimately, combining space optimization, environmental monitoring, and sustainability measures with office sensors empowers businesses to craft a dynamic, future-proof workplace that benefits both employees and facility management.

Does your workplace need office sensors? 

For companies that are looking to shift into shared workspaces working mode or are eager to get data to challenge their current initiatives, office sensors will be essential.

The data from sensors enables understanding on how the building is used and employees’ working habits. With this information, it is easier to provide good office experience that makes people love working from the office.