Wireless at work: a case study
Neil Sutton
News Data Security mobile surveillance wireless wireless networking wireless networkingwireless
Visual Defence based in Richmond Hill, Ont., uses its mobile video
surveillance solution over Motorola’s MOTOMESH wireless network. The
company has sold wireless product to several transit authorities as a
means to provide surveillance for public trains and buses. The solution
has been tested in several cities and has already been in use in
Stockholm, Sweden, for about a year.
The camera systems run continuously while the buses are in operation,
writing then overwriting video unless a driver “tags” an event by
pushing a button within reach of his seat, permanently saving it to the
camera’s memory. The idea is to cut the risk of violence or crime on
public transit, with clearly visible cameras acting as a deterrent to
would be attackers. Should a crime actually be perpetrated, the cameras
are able to record video evidence.
Once the bus re-enters the station, video is automatically downloaded, using the MOTOMESH network, into a storage solution.
“Traditionally, you’d have to send somebody onto that bus and download
the video onto a laptop. When you’re using a wireless network, what you
can do automatically is download the video wirelessly, says Bethany
Moir, marketing manager.
There are currently five to seven cameras in use on 2,100 buses in
Stockholm, allowing for 250 GB of local storage per bus. In total,
there are 15,000 cameras in operation, including those used in bus
stations.
Moir says the company is speaking to several transit authorities in the
U.S. to sell solutions similar to the one deployed in Stockholm.
Another potential user, she says, are school buses.
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