Organization of video surveillance abroad at the infrastructure facilities of cities and towns.
Organization of video surveillance abroad at the infrastructure facilities of cities and towns.
It is very useful to compare foreign approaches to building video surveillance systems that were five years ago and those that exist now, and to understand what is widely used in Russia, and in which cases we implement our concepts. It is very important to understand the trends in changing approaches to building video surveillance systems abroad and to use this experience in order, if not to exclude the most unsuccessful stages, then to foresee the real results given by certain concepts.
 |
Wireless video cameras
In 2006, many media outlets proudly reported on the significant number of video cameras installed in foreign cities. Thus, it was stated that more than 20 thousand video surveillance cameras monitor Parisians and visitors to the French capital every day. However, some of them are not intended to monitor individuals in the crowd, but only to provide duty officers with general information about the situation in a particular point in the French capital. Nevertheless, the French are still far from the records set by the fighters against terrorism in neighboring Great Britain — there the total number of television surveillance cameras in the country is approaching four million. This is 10% of the total number of such surveillance devices in the world. Each resident of London, no matter where he goes, for example, is filmed by at least 300 video cameras per day. Some of these cameras are carefully camouflaged. Nowadays, a video surveillance scheme is often used when video cameras are installed “under” specific suspects in crimes. For example, it became known that in certain places cases of robberies or other illegal actions have become more frequent. A rapid deployment video surveillance system is installed in this area. After the detention operation, the camera can be dismantled and used in another place. This approach has become possible due to the fact that the modern video surveillance market abroad is saturated with wireless solutions suitable for solving such problems. Wireless solutions were also used abroad in 2006 to protect fairly important facilities and were quite reliable.
 |
In order to quickly and inexpensively deploy a video surveillance system for the duration of a special operation with the ability to quickly dismantle it for reuse, in the summer of 2010 Plextek announced the release of the wireless network megapixel Sentinel video camera with a high-quality digital matrix and a zoom lens. In this camera, image processing is performed using intelligent algorithms, and a radio module is used to transmit the received video data. The modular architecture allows replacing the standard 3G modem with another wireless device, such as a WiFi or WiMAX transmitter. This confirms the development trend of such a market segment as the use of high-quality new-generation mobile wireless video surveillance systems. The powerful optics and high-resolution matrix of the Sentinel video camera make it possible to recognize a person at a distance of up to 600 meters. The degree of compression of the transmitted video varies depending on the available bandwidth of the cellular channel. In addition, a separate video stream with a higher priority of quality and resolution can be allocated for critical parts of the frame. The system can be powered autonomously, from batteries. This type of video cameras can be used both for temporary installation during law enforcement operations, and for a flexible and inexpensive way of monitoring public safety on an ongoing basis.
 |
Norway has implemented a flexible network video surveillance concept that includes the collection of weather and environmental data to coordinate port operations. Norwegian ports using the solution include Alesund, Drammen, Holmen, Narvik, Troms and Trondheim. The software enables integration with other systems or equipment such as port telephones, access control systems and alarms. Doors and lighting can be monitored using video cameras connected to the video surveillance system. The robust solution has its own power supply from solar panels and a wind generator to operate the cameras. Image transmission via Wi-Fi/GSM or radio can be tailored to local needs. In 2006, high-tech wireless cameras were used in England for covert surveillance in the fight against illegal dumping. For this purpose, for example, Carrier uses hidden video surveillance systems, the video cameras of which are completely wireless, operate without being connected to the power grid, have a vandal-proof housing, remote access, and can identify people and vehicles at a distance of 90 m.
The popularity of wireless video cameras is also indicated by the fact that the San Diego-based MicroPower Technologies received approximately $2.2 million in investments from organizations and individuals to launch the production of wireless video surveillance cameras with ultra-low power consumption. These video cameras consume 20-100 times less power. Even when installed in temperate latitudes, the camera can be powered by a 25×10 cm solar battery. In addition, these video cameras transmit information via the TrustLinx wireless data transmission protocol. The solution uses frequencies of 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz; the latter range is not subject to licensing in most countries and is used in Wi-Fi networks. However, the manufacturer emphasizes that despite the overlapping ranges, the TrustLinx protocol does not interfere with the operation of Wi-Fi networks in any way. This is very important, since Wi-Fi networks are overloaded. The length of the radio channel «camera ? hub» by default is 800 m, but in conditions of direct visibility and with the help of a directional antenna, a stable connection can be achieved at a distance of up to 8 km. The hub «gives» video in the currently standard H.264 and MJPEG formats.
A new wireless video surveillance system is already helping to combat crime and ensure the safety of residents and visitors in the American town of Grand Canyon West Resort, Arizona. The complete integrated IP solution from IndigoVision is deployed in several areas and provides reliable monitoring of a large tourist area. Grand Canyon West is a popular tourist destination on the western side of the Grand Canyon. One of the main attractions of this resort is the attraction «Walk in the Sky». This is a glass bridge in the shape of a horseshoe hanging over the Canyon. It is very problematic to organize a wired connection to many of these objects, these objects are located several dozen miles from each other and from the centralized monitoring point. The system from IndigoVision allows image transmission via satellite channels with low bandwidth. High compression ensures minimal image latency, allowing the system operator to smoothly control PTZ cameras while being at a great distance from the object of observation. However, image quality is always inversely related to the channel width. Each camera outputs two video streams. The first, low-speed, is used for transmission via satellite channels. The second contains high-resolution video, which is recorded locally on autonomous network recorders.
Video cameras with IP output
Five years ago, the triumphant march of cameras with IP output began abroad, and analog video systems were replaced everywhere with higher-quality digital ones capable of storing information for a long time. For example, Temple University (Philadelphia) replaced a number of traditional analog cameras with highly efficient megapixel highly intelligent IP cameras. These cameras have proven themselves so well in identifying intruders that the university is considering replacing the remaining analog cameras. The advantages of such replacements have been noted for the Basildon Hospital in Essex and for the tallest skyscraper in London, the Tower. In 2006, high-quality video cameras with IP output were installed in schools in the UK instead of analog ones.
 |
However, there are now examples of building hybrid CCTV systems. APC Overnight is the largest one-day delivery service in the United Kingdom. The company has 125 branches in every corner of the country. The network specializes in express deliveries: the customer can choose delivery in the morning, lunchtime or evening, as well as use the Saturday delivery service. Every month, APC Overnight collects, distributes and delivers more than a million parcels. CCTV helps the company minimize losses, protect the territory and monitor compliance with safety standards at the central sorting center in Wolverhampton. There, the old 64-camera analogue cameras are integrated with new 32-dome cameras of the advanced IP CCTV system from Samsung. The hybrid architecture allowed the customer to save a significant amount of money and avoid complete dismantling of the old equipment. A high degree of integration made it possible to control the new and old cameras from one multi-screen display at the security post. For this purpose, the control functions of the freely distributed Samsung CMS software package were used.
In 2009, the company developed a new type of hybrid solution that allows for seamless integration of analog and digital video surveillance systems. The new product line includes single-channel and four-channel discrete modules, as well as integrated modules for a server rack of one and three «units» in height, which are arrays of four-channel boards. All output encoders are capable of producing a dual video stream of various resolutions — H.264/JPEG, H.264/MPEG-4 or MPEG-4/JPEG. These modules do not simply digitize the signal from the analog output of the video surveillance camera, but also correct it, improving the quality.
Nowadays, you will not find descriptions of the design of video surveillance systems based on cameras with an analog output. Thus, for the 2010 World Cup, a system of 120 fixed and dome vandal-proof outdoor and indoor cameras with IP output from IndigoVision was deployed at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium near Rustenburg, South Africa. The system turned out to be easy to deploy due to its network architecture and the transmission of electricity to the cameras via an Ethernet cable. PoE technology made it possible to reduce installation costs. A thirty-day archive rewriting period is provided by seven autonomous network video recorders. The storage capacity of each of them is 1 Tb. But the motion detection program running on some cameras dynamically controls the frame rate of the video stream. IndigoVision has also become a key part of the “safe city” in Port Elizabeth — integrated security system for the Nelson Mandela Bay urban area. This system provides security to more than 1.3 million people living in an area of 2,000 km2.
 |
It is also interesting that 5 years ago in Europe cameras with IP output, such as Mobotix, were considered generally available, which in Russia are considered to be high-quality expensive (1300 euros per camera) network cameras. So, in a provincial wine bar and restaurant in Warwick, after an exhausting review of video surveillance systems presented on the market, it was decided to install a video surveillance camera system from Mobotix AG based on IP technology. According to the CEO, «a system based on digital technology with low operating costs was needed, and most importantly, the system should be operational in conditions of variable lighting in the hall.» These cameras are configured to record either by a built-in PIR (passive infrared) sensor, a motion sensor or a set time element. Recorded images are transmitted over a local network to an «image server» for a certain number of days, with each camera having its own database of events, image recovery and deletion. Since the Mobotix system was originally designed for integration into the information infrastructure, it allowed the control of cameras via the Internet. This interactive operation allows the system to be easily connected to a remote alarm control center (ACC). In the event of an alarm being triggered outside of working hours, the ACC operator can instantly view the relevant cameras and assess the situation.
The same 57 MOBOTIX network cameras formed the basis of the traffic surveillance system for the World Cup matches in Kaiserslautern in 2007. The costs for the entire equipment, including cameras, control centre equipment and installation of the technology, amounted to approximately 200,000 euros. One of the most important arguments in favour of this choice was the exceptional reliability of the cameras, their high image quality, compatibility with computer networks and their cost-effectiveness. In order to avoid the costs of digging trenches and laying a complex cable infrastructure for transmitting video images, the project management developed a mobile solution: the MOBOTIX cameras were networked with the control centre using remote access cards from Vodafone and mobile communication devices developed by the system supplier konzeptpark GmbH. In other words, the video data was transmitted via UMTS channels. Each camera transmitted an image with a pixel resolution of 640 x 480 every 30 seconds, which did not overload the UMTS channel capacity. Such a low frame rate was chosen due to the need to reduce the cost of information transmission, however, such an interval between frames allows for a fairly reliable assessment of the current traffic situation. If necessary, the interval between frames could be increased to ten seconds. Another advantage of this solution was that such cameras are easy to move from place to place. It is worth mentioning that the solution as a whole turned out to be not only inexpensive and flexible, but also very quick and easy to install.
 |
The security of two of the most important ports of the Panama Ports Company is now ensured by CCTV cameras from Mobotix ? new security solutions have been deployed in the container ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Local Mobotix partner Mutitek has installed a CCTV system of more than 50 M12 DualNight cameras there. According to Mobotix, when it comes to a future-proof CCTV system, their resolution is of the utmost importance. Since the development of electronics has made it possible to decentralize computing power, megapixel cameras have become a cost-effective solution. Old centralized solutions, where image processing took place at the level of the digital video recorder and the computer's video capture card, have a number of disadvantages. For high-resolution cameras, this approach is not possible for several reasons. Firstly, it would require a huge amount of network bandwidth. Secondly, processing and compressing images coming from many cameras at the same time would require an unrealistically large amount of computer computing power. The solution lies in decentralization ? This is the concept followed by the German manufacturer. In addition to processing and compressing information, each camera contains an SD memory card for long-term recording. Thus, a computer with an installed video content management system can only be used for viewing, and not for recording or analytics. When analyzing the prevailing trends in the development of video surveillance systems in 2010, the IMS Research agency noted, among other things, the following: end-to-end data storage in video surveillance cameras is one of the most pressing issues of 2010. Support for SD memory cards appears in more new products (primarily, cameras with IP output), and users will begin to exploit this feature more actively.
___________________________________
A.V. Anufriev,
CEO of Ai-Video