Revolutionizing Popularity Assessment and Energy Efficiency of Electronic Billboards through Smart Internet of Things Technology

In the realm of digital content, platforms like YouTube and Facebook have introduced diverse methods for gauging popularity. Curiously, no effective solution exists for assessing the popularity of electronic billboards. In response, our work introduces a groundbreaking concept: a smart billboard empowered to measure its own popularity based on its location's engagement. This work presents an innovative approach that not only evaluates electronic billboard popularity but also curtails energy consumption in the display. By integrating passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors and advanced object detection, our smart Internet of Things (IoT) control system collaborates seamlessly with an attentive electronic billboard setup. The combined data of viewer counts, and foot traffic discern the advertisement's effectiveness. The system proposed consists of a Raspberry Pi 3B alongside a monitor, Pi camera, and dual PIR motion sensors. The system interfaces with Telegram for comprehensive control. Empirical data were meticulously collected across varied schedules and 2 locations within the Multimedia University Cyberjaya campus. The extensive experimental results show that the popularity of the billboards is successfully accessed through the system proposed. Notably, the system harnessed energy savings by judiciously turning off displays during periods of inactivity, culminating in a commendable energy conservation of 18.52W over a four-hour duration. This study pioneers a cost-effective technique that harnesses object detection and motion sensing to precisely assess the popularity of electronic billboard advertisements. Beyond this innovation, the system's intelligent energy optimization profoundly impacts the environment, fostering sustainable and economically viable out-of-home advertising practices.