There is almost a week of vacation left in Île-de-France. The opportunity (for those who can) to take the children out and enjoy the region, which is rich in activities. But the Paris conurbation often suffers from its density. Also, it is not uncommon to find the crowds of a line 3 in the middle of rush hour at… the swimming pool.
Even if Ile-de-France residents are used to crowds and to queuing for hours at the slightest opportunity, jostling to chain breaststrokes or to enjoy a museum can be a brake, even for the most daring.
Know the attendance of a public place in real time
Luckily, there’s a little-known solution that can direct you to your favorite activities without having to step on your neighbor’s toes (or sniff their armpits). It’s about attendance. As its name suggests, this application allows you to know the crowds of public places, like what companies like Google already offer. With the enormous difference that Affluences offers site attendance… in real time! Also, before putting on your swimming cap and goggles, you can take a look at the application and find out the occupancy rate of a swimming pool, a library or even a museum.
Created in 2014 by three young people just out of school who were tired of not finding a place in the university library, the company, based in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, has developed at breakneck speed. Today it equips today nearly 500 establishments in seven countries.
Fifteen swimming pools in Paris and the greatest cultural venues
And Paris, and its conurbation, is no exception. Since the first projects, launched with the Paris City Hall in 2018, around Paris Plage and the swimming pools of La Villette, Affluences has equipped fifteen swimming pools in the capital, the vast majority of universities in the region, and the largest cultural venues. and tourist attractions (Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Orsay Museum, Palace of Versailles, etc.).
“We are very present in higher education with 80 to 90% of universities in France, in culture, transport and the “Smart city” sector”, explains Alvaro Bon, project manager at Affluences.
The principle of Affluences is based on four main axes: Measure, forecast, communicate and manage the frequentation of public places. “For example, for a swimming pool, we install sensors from one end of the pool to the other, which make it possible to permanently know how many people are in the water. The data captured is then communicated on the Paris City Hall website and on our application and updated every five minutes,” adds Alvaro Bon.
Accuracy and predictions
A precision that can even go as far as the attendance of each water line for swimming pools. Thus, if a swimmer has a favorite line, he knows a few minutes in advance whether there is going to be a traffic jam or not. The algorithm developed by the founders of Affluences even makes it possible to inform users in the event of an unforeseen event, such as a line reserved for a course, for a leisure center or a school.
But because it is rarely done five minutes in advance to plan an outing, the algorithm also makes it possible to anticipate the attendance of a place in advance. Half-day or weekly forecasts available. “We use the history of the previous two years and we correct it according to weather conditions, holidays, or other extraordinary events to know precisely the occupancy rate of a place. »
Useful additional information
Forecasts so precise that Affluences also offers its services to institutions to help them manage their infrastructures. “Our tools help them to manage, for example, their energy expenditure or staffing needs over given periods. »
The start-up continues its development with major projects to come, particularly in transport, and is always adding more functionalities to its application such as the list of services offered on site (Wifi, electrical outlets, free seats, etc.) and even offers reservations for certain places, such as exhibitions or museums.