2026-09-14
Sensors are one of the most important components in an intelligent pedestrian gate. They help the controller understand where a pedestrian is located and determine whether the barrier should open, remain open, close or trigger an alarm. Two technologies increasingly discussed in modern access control are infrared sensing and LiDAR.
Optical turnstiles commonly install multiple infrared transmitters and receivers along the passage. Together, these beams create detection zones. As a pedestrian walks through the lane, the controller analyzes the sequence in which different zones are activated. This information helps determine passage direction and pedestrian position.
A properly designed infrared array can support anti-pinch safety, direction detection, unauthorized entry detection, tailgating logic and lingering detection. The effectiveness depends not only on the number of sensors but also on sensor placement and control algorithms.
LiDAR measures surroundings using light-based distance sensing. Instead of relying only on individual beam interruption, a LiDAR-based system can provide richer spatial information about objects or pedestrians inside a defined area. That can be useful in applications requiring more advanced trajectory analysis.
Not necessarily. A well-designed infrared system is effective for many office, commercial and public entrance projects. Adding more sophisticated sensing can also increase system complexity and cost. The correct technology should therefore be selected according to the security requirement rather than simply choosing the most advanced specification.
ensors only produce information. The gate controller still needs to interpret that information correctly. Two gates with similar sensor hardware may perform differently if their detection logic and algorithms are different. This is why anti-tailgating performance should be evaluated as a complete combination of hardware, software and lane design.
Infrared optical sensors are widely used to detect pedestrian movement through the passage.
Sensors can help detect possible tailgating behavior and trigger the configured response.
LiDAR can provide enhanced spatial or trajectory information for advanced pedestrian-detection applications. Internal Links: VX.LB01, Speed Gates, R&D Capability.
