Student Spotlight

Justin Philip Dela Cruz
Program of Study: Computer System Technician
Current Year: 2024 Graduating Year
Title of Project: Humber International Visitor Tracking and Flow Prediction using Webcam

Tell Us About Your Project?

Our project, the Humber International Face Tracking and Flow Prediction application, tackles a significant challenge faced by Humber International employees: the need to efficiently track and count people manually, especially during busy periods. With guidance from Professor Timothy Wong, Tajay and I collaborated to create an advanced face tracking system. This software utilizes computer vision, specifically OpenCV, to automatically detect and count faces, logging data to a SQL database. Additionally, it includes a user-friendly GUI for real-time metric monitoring and scheduled email reports to keep Humber International employees informed.

What Were Some of the Most Important Things You Learned?

Throughout this project, we gained invaluable insights. Firstly, we discovered the importance of teamwork and mentorship. Professor Wong’s guidance was crucial, helping us navigate through the project’s challenges. We encountered a significant challenge when testing the system at Humber International, as it continuously counted people and also accounted for depth. To address this, we adjusted the system to only count individuals who step into the line for Humber International. We accomplished this by refining the depth perception and implementing a signature face feature, ensuring that individuals previously counted would not be continually counted but instead registered as a single count. Secondly, we realized the importance of thinking ahead. By incorporating features like email alerts for staff to notify students of their queue status, we aimed to develop a solution that not only resolves current issues but also anticipates future ones.

What Advice Would You Give to Other Students Interested in Your Program?

If you’re interested in our program, here’s some advice: don’t hesitate to seek guidance and work with others. Learning from experienced folks can open new perspectives. Also, be bold in your ideas and think about how your project can grow over time. Lastly, get your hands dirty with real world projects whenever possible. That’s where the best learning happens. Learning technology is a continuous journey – don’t stop seeking knowledge.