Category: Case Study

I DIS video technology is proving itself in one of the toughest and most dramatic applications: 24/7 monitoring of volcanic activity at Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego. This volcano, one of the world’s most active and dangerous, is now watched day and night in order to give early warning of impending eruptions. Continual live footage can be viewed online by emergency agencies, scientists and residents, all captured by IDIS’ award winning 8MP 31x IR PTZ camera. Even from over nine miles away, the 8-megapixel model is delivering ultra-high definition, full day, and night surveillance of the active caldera, showing sudden gas and ash eruptions as often as every 15 to 20 minutes. In June 2018 nearly 200 people were killed on Volcan de Fuego during a series of explosions and pyroclastic flows which left little evacuation time. This was the volcano’s most powerful eruption since 1974 and its deadliest since 1929 but was far from an isolated incident. More than 60 major eruptions have been recorded over the last five centuries – and with 54,000 people living on the fertile farmlands within10km of the crater, the risk remains high. Consequently, ultra-high definition, continual video monitoring – alongside data from sensors including seismology and gas detectors – now aims to protect vulnerable communities living around the volcano by giving early warning. The H.265 IR DC-S3883HRX camera,which features an 8MP, auto focus, and 31x optical zoom lens, IR performance up to 200m, and a highly sensitive auto-return positioning sensor, was installed by IDIS, its partner EPCOM and Guatemalan telecommunications specialist Crelosa.Like all IDIS cameras, the model – which has won two prestigious design awards – benefits from true, one-click plug-and-play set up, making it ideal for hassle-free installation at height, in challenging environments, and in locations where engineers are exposed to increased risk. The IDIS PTZ also features true wide dynamic range (WDR), allowing it to cope easily in changing lighting conditions; electronic image stabilisation (EIS) ensures steady coverage of scenes at a distance, so images from the volcano remain crisp and sharp; and H.265 and intelligent codec requires minimum bandwidth even for 4K live monitoring. The camera also remains stable despite the region’s variable weather conditions, including strong sun, and when temperatures fall sharply at night. The water droplet wiper proves essential during the rainy season. Smart failover and IDIS’ Ultimate Warranty gives Crelosa and the Volcan de Fuego monitoring agencies peace of mind that the camera will continue to deliver outstanding video in one of the world’s most dramatic settings. “We are honoured that IDIS technology has been chosen for such an important application,” says Joon Jun, President of Global Business at IDIS, “Our camera is not only allowing volcanologists and scientists to learn more about this most active volcano, it will also potentially help to save lives.”  

Rekor Systems, Inc, (REKR) a Maryland-based company providing real-time roadway intelligence through AI-driven decisions, recently announced that Mastercard is integrating the Company’s subscription based Edge proprietary vehicle recognition technology into its AI Powered Drive Through Platform. Mastercard’s AI Powered Drive Through platform, provided in partnership with Rekor, can help major quick service restaurant brands transform their drive through or drive in interactions through vehicle recognition, voice ordering, and artificial intelligence. “This is a significant milestone for our Company as we continue to actively pursue the commercial segment of our business. Teaming with Mastercard and their quick service restaurant partners not only helps usher in the future of frictionless vehicle recognition solution, but it signals the value of our technology to enable low touch, high engagement experiences for retailers and the end consumer,” said Robert A. Berman, President and CEO, Rekor. Mastercard’s platform leverages aggregated spending patterns and store level data to customize the ordering experience. Consumers can opt-in to receive personalized and dynamic menu offers based on historical purchasing trends either based on the specific restaurant’s location or the individual consumer. The solution also reduces friction within the ordering process by removing the need to wait for an employee to take an order, enabling staff to focus on order throughput. “As retailers and consumers navigate through one of the most disruptive periods in modern history, it’s clear that traditional business operations will need to evolve quickly,” said Stephane Wyper, Senior Vice President, Retail Innovation, Mastercard. “Technologies like Rekor’s give us the ability to help our retail partners meet the challenges posed by this new normal and provide their customers with a more digitally enabled, touchless, and secure retail experience.” Mastercard’s AI powered drive through platform using Rekor’s vehicle recognition technology will begin on-location pilots at White Castle locations in October 2020 and will also be rolling out with other quick service restaurants later in the year.  

Barco, a world leader in professional visualization, introduces its new generation RGB laser rear-projection video walls and reinforces its commitment to the mission-critical control room market. The newest generation offering strengthens the value proposition of rear-projection technology as the reliable, sustainable and long-lifetime visualization solution, and will be available for both new installations and to upgrade the installed base As a broad visualization solution supplier, Barco offers rear-projection, LCD and LED indoor video walls, allowing one to optimize the visualization outcome – depending on the specific application and customer needs. For mission-critical control rooms, rear-projection remains a key visualization technology especially for mid- to large-size control rooms, that work with dashboards and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) content typically within the utilities and rail transportation markets. The Barco RGB Laser ODL series, with its unique value proposition, was introduced in 2016 and has been the flagship solution ever since, winning multiple industry awards. With the introduction of this newest generation laser engine, the ODL series now gets a major update which further establishes the RGB Laser series as the premium solution in the market. This will strengthen and safeguard the unique value proposition of rear-projection cubes by further extending the lifetime, protecting long-term serviceability commitments up to 10 years, and offering a sustainable solution considering the environment and ergonomics. Solutions for any environment The high-brightness RGB Laser engine allows control rooms to operate in the optimal conditions for the end users. The unique Sense X calibration system automatically and continuously adjusts brightness and color over the complete wall during the entire lifetime, making sure the displayed images reduce eye fatigue in 24/7 applications. Additionally, no heat is radiated out of the screens, which further optimizes the ergonomics for the operators and simplifies the room temperature control systems. The next-generation laser engine introduces new laser banks, improving the light source lifetime in different operational modes. The guaranteed 10 years of maintainability secures the system for the future, which is instrumental for mission-critical control rooms. The accompanying WallConnect software has further evolved, improving the user experience during setup, configuration, operation and maintenance. Along with the ODL-series’ motorized 7-axis alignment, this makes the installation process smoother and simpler. The system is also futureproof and ready for remote management and monitoring, optimizing the availability and lifetime within the mission critical environments. A wide portfolio of laser engines The new engine will be available within the full RGB Laser portfolio, covering 70” to 80” sizes and supporting both FHD and SXGA+ resolutions. Multiple screen options are available to deliver the optimum result depending on the application, control room environment and budget. Furthermore, existing customers can upgrade their installed base of lamp & LED cubes, which means a complete technology refresh can be accomplished while keeping the mechanical structure and screens. This not only lowers the cost and timeframe of the refurbishment, but also reduces waste and can often be accomplished without any operational interruption. Being able to upgrade video walls (running already for more than 10 years) with the latest projection technology at a reduced cost, for another 10 years of service, is a key advantage of rear projection. Reducing the environmental footprint The ODL series also received the ‘Barco Eco Product label A’ as it further reduces the environmental footprint. Barco’s stringent ecoscoring scores energy efficiency, material usage, packaging/ logistics and end-of-life processes in line with the ISO14021 standard. “By introducing the next-generation RGB Laser ODL series, Barco is again breaking the bar in the rear-projection cube market,” says Jay Badvel, Product Manager at Barco. “With this new engine, we go far beyond excelling at the technical level. We further enhance the lifetime, secure the reliability and lower the environmental footprint. The upgrade capability, reusing a large part of the infrastructure, in combination with the modularity, repairability and refurbishment options, further contributes to a true circular economy. The next generation RGB Laser ODL series are available for shipments starting August 2020.  

An upgrade of video technology at a south London residential estate has proved so effective that the system has been immediately scaled-up. The IDIS video solution, implemented by Hall & Kay Security Engineering at the Meridian South Development in Hither Green, is less obtrusive than the system it replaced, yet it immediately delivered better results, with a number of incidents tackled – to the surprise of the culprits. Although the mixed development, comprising 440 owner-occupied and rented properties, is a safe and pleasant neighbourhood for most of the time, to maintain this high standard of living managers needed to tackle a growing problem with petty crime and anti-social behaviour. Issues were being reported with increasing frequency, including rubbish being dumped by shortterm tenants vacating their apartments, theft from mailboxes, vandalism, and car crime. Rubbish removal alone was costing the management company more than £12,000 annually. Hall & Kay were asked to solve this problem by implementing an advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, Korea’s largest in-country manufacturer. The H&K team began by replacing the ten column-mounted PTZ cameras with IDIS cameras. IDIS technicians visited the site with the H&K engineers and conducted a bandwidth test on the existing cabling – demonstrating that, by using the existing coax with IDIS ethernet converters, up to four IDIS fixed bullet cameras could be cost-effectively mounted on each existing column. Additionally, wireless access points were installed where cameras couldn’t be cabled directly to the estate control room. This approach eliminated blind-spots and guaranteed that events would not be missed when the system was unmanned. To provide wider coverage, a further six columns were added, and additional IDIS cameras were mounted in the underground car parking areas.   The system now delivers full HD images in all lighting conditions, with built-in IR ensuring nighttime image capture at distances up to 30m. All footage is stored for 30 days. The security officers and maintenance staff who manage the estate are also taking advantage of the easy-to-use analytics functions that come with the totally cost-free IDIS Center video management software (VMS). These tools include motion detection which can be utilised out of hours to ensure that scenes are only recorded when movement occurs, thus minimising bandwidth usage and storage requirements. This feature, along with IDIS MapVue navigation, also makes it easy to quickly review footage to find incidents of interest. The 57 IDIS full HD IR cameras, and the three NVRs with 12TB storage each, benefit from true plug-and-play set up with DirectIP®. When the South Meridian management team saw the quality of images now being captured, they asked if the system could be extended. With IDIS’s flexible approach this was quick and easy to do. Within 24 hours of cameras being installed, departing tenants were recorded illegally dumping rubbish. Shortly after this, a contractor working at the site reported that tools had been stolen – in both cases, high definition evidence of the crime was captured and passed to the police. In fact, thanks to the design of the system, and the easy-to-use VMS controls, security staff were able to retrieve footage of the incident itself, along with a full video trail of the thief moving across the estate before and afterwards. Word has now spread about how effective the new system is, and residents are delighted that there are now no blind-spots. “The support we had from IDIS was second to none and the technology works exactly as promised,” says Wayne Wharton, Security Sales Manager, H&K Security, “We are now looking at many more IDIS projects with the same customer and others.” “We are delighted that IDIS technology is making such a positive difference to the quality of life of residents at Meridian South,” says James Min, Managing Director, IDIS Europe.  

Many warehouses store expensive inventory and equipment. With people and transportation constantly flowing in and out of the warehouse property, it’s a constant hub of activity. It puts them at risk for many things, like a fire, or a flood, product damage, or employee safety. Among them, theft is a critical problem. Warehouses have commonly incorporated video cameras to help catch activity in and around the property. But in most cases, when loss is identified, the warehouse manager or security staff turn to the video security system to search for the right footage. The challenge is that there is an ocean of video footage, and sometimes none of it clearly tells what happened. This makes forensic search difficult and time-consuming. In short, conventional video monitoring systems cannot effectively help identify an intrusion event at the time it is happening and thus prevent it at the very beginning. Accurate trespassing alarm Video monitoring with accurate trespassing alerts on the detection of a human intrusion event will be a great improvement. This is where Prama Hikvision’s AcuSense technology comes in.     Today’s security products equipped with Prama Hikvision’s AcuSense technology automatically send out alerts when a human or a vehicle is detected. Thanks to an advanced deep learning algorithm, technology precisely distinguishes and categorizes objects into ‘human’, ‘vehicle,’ and ‘other.’ Alarms triggered by the ‘other’ objects such as a beam of light, an animal, the movement of foliage etc., are disregarded, leaving the true events which are associated with humans and vehicles for users and security personnel to focus and act. Additionally, related videos are automatically sorted by categories for easier search. Focused technology in action So in the warehouse setup, AcuSense cameras are installed to stay alert day and night. If an intruder enters an area of attention, an alarm will be triggered; simultaneously the onsite AcuSense camera produces a flashing light and an auditory warning – which can be pre-recorded – with the aim of frightening the intruder away. This transforms the traditional passive monitoring to active deterrent. At the same time, security staff is notified with an alert on the monitor or on the tablet during patrol. Accordingly, a video clip upon that trespassing event displays what is happening. If needed, security staff can call the police immediately to take action. Warehouses with an existing Prama Hikvision video monitoring system can easily enjoy the benefits of AcuSense technology without a full system upgrade. If the front-end cameras do not need replacing, warehouses can incorporate either a Prama Hikvision AcuSense NVR or DVR, easily giving them efficient target search on human and vehicle events. Conversely, if warehouses are looking for a proactive deterrent solution against intrusion activities, AcuSense network cameras can be added or used to replace the legacy cameras at key locations. When anyone passes by, the camera flashes and delivers an audio alarm to ward off the intruder. The same goes for applications at residences, restricted areas or dangerous areas for example in zoos or scenic spots. It’s also true for central alarm stations, where security staff always depend on accurate alarms to take effective and efficient action. Even the task of searching recorded footage becomes much easier as related videos are automatically sorted into categories labelled human, vehicle, or other events. Improved alarm accuracy allows the actual events to draw attentions, which means improved security and confidence.  

UK companies MVIS/ Bartco UK and 360 Vision Technology have joined forces on a technology innovation to produce an intelligent, solar-powered, trailer-based IP video surveillance platform. Aptly named ‘Solar IP,’ the unit is currently being deployed as an off-grid traffic management solution in several temporary roadworks and motorway schemes.   Commenting on the initiative and technology partnership, Matt Felce from MVIS/ Bartco UK stated, “We have been a market leader in the supply of trailer based variable message sign solutions for many years, and with IP technologies becoming more ‘power efficient’ we saw both the opportunity and gap in the market to further develop our solution to incorporate an IP camera, which delivered unrivalled video quality and IR lighting, whilst being portable and solar powered. “Reliability and resilience were also key factors in the development criteria and that’s why 360 Vision’s Invictus camera was the obvious choice. We were very impressed with the camera technology, which in combination with our intelligent solar trailer system, gave rise to this new ground-breaking solution.” The 360 Vision Invictus camera utilised in the development provides outstanding video quality and excellent performance in low light conditions. Moreover, with power consumption as low as 12W, the Invictus really is ‘top of its class’ with respect to energy efficiency when compared to similar camera models. Tony Holloway, Business Development Manager at 360 Vision Technology said, “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with MVIS/ Bartco UK on this leading edge, technology development project. The automatic power management capability of our rugged PTZ cameras results in minimal power demand at all times. Couple this with the option for programmable power level IR and white light illumination, tailoring the solution to the remotest locations, further enhances the camera performance whilst minimising additional power requirements. This really does lend itself to this type of revolutionary, off-grid solution. Technology partnerships like this really do ‘underpin’ and showcase 360 Vision’s flexible product credentials.” Matt continued, “In order to deliver a solution which really did meet all the requirements, we considered it extremely important for us to work with a UK manufacturer that could both advise and support us through the development process. Whilst currently being deployed in the traffic sector, the current applications for this are far-reaching. What’s more is that under the conditions seen due to COVID-19, this unit fulfils an even bigger market need in the name of high definition surveillance for safety. This really is UK engineering at its best.”  

Increasing internet traffic is a major concern that needs immediate attention. Enterprises are pressurized to handle traffic and ensure that employees do not face application performance delays. At the same time, it is also important to have corporate networks secured. Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) play an important role in securing applications and further keeping our systems safe from malware or other threats. While we all understand that firewalls are needed, it is also a fact that the SSL/ TLS encrypted data flow from these firewalls majorly impact internet traffic which in-turn affects the performance of the applications. Organizations should look at solutions to fasten this process which could help increase the traffic and in turn business productivity. The Tolly Report, a 3rd party validation firm tested WAF and NGFW across industries and presented a set of results. According to this report, when SSL processing was offloaded to Array Networks AVX series it helped the IT administrators to witness an increased performance in transactions per second (TPS), data throughput, and URL response time. During the testing process, WAF saw a 67 times increase in TPS and NGFW saw a 5 times increase in TPS. The observation made post usage of Array’s AVX series platform and SSL offload shows the stark reality of why the product is a game-changer. These are the results obtained post the study: Traffic caused due to processing of SSL/ TLS dropped dramatically on per second count in virtual WAF transactions, optimizing the URL response time. Similar results were obtained in the virtual NGFW transactions including similar performance hits. AVX series platform and SSL offload products of Array helped in improving the performance for both WAF and NGFW. These results point towards a more traffic-free route for internet users in corporate networks. Array’s AVX network functions platform series provides a cost-effective and time-saving solution to ensure performance without sacrificing the agility of virtual appliances.  

Transit agencies have traditionally relied on multiple single-purpose proprietary systems that don’t interconnect. To help security, IT, operations and vehicle maintenance staff work together, Genetec, a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, recently announced a portfolio of solutions designed to help transit organizations unify their security and operations from a single intuitive interface. The Genetec Transit Portfolio enables key stakeholders to work in sync using a solution that unifies wayside and onboard security with operational and intelligence products that leverage their existing security infrastructure to bring additional insights.   Most onboard and wayside systems are built on separate, closed architectures that require costly custom updates and integrations to communicate with other systems in a limited way. Transitioning to a single, open platform under a single pane of glass helps unify systems while laying the foundation for coordinated processes, efficient incident response, and collaborative work. This makes it easier to build internal processes to increase an agency’s overall operational efficiency. Additionally, transit agencies are increasingly being solicited for information from external partners (neighboring transit agencies, law enforcement, city services etc). A unified system establishes an infrastructure that facilitates sharing data while keeping it secure. “To meet evolving demands and travelers’ expectations, transit agencies need to find creative ways to provide a safe and seamless journey for their customers, while also having the right systems and protocols in place to ensure efficient operations,” said Jermaine Santoya, Industry Marketing Manager for Intelligent Mobility at Genetec, “Using a unified security platform allows them to track all events in their vehicles and premises, record and retrieve actionable information efficiently, and provide an optimal ex-perience for all commuters.” At the core of the Genetec Transit Portfolio is the Genetec Security Center platform which unifies video management, access control and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) capabilities. With the Security Center Omnicast™ video management system (VMS), transit agencies can monitor their infrastructure and vehicles to help protect commuters and staff using a wide range of industry-leading cameras, encoders, and CCTV equipment. Security Center Synergis™ access control system secures entrances for staff and commuters, improves compliance, while leveraging existing network and third-party access control devices. Security Center AutoVu™ automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) makes it easier for parking management teams to enforce parking restrictions by locating and counting vehicles of interest like buses, taxis, and car-sharing services, and providing a real-time inventory of vehicles on access roads and in monitored parking lots. The Genetec transit portfolio also includes a number of transit-specific capabilities: Security Center Fleet Monitoring: provides a unified, non-proprietary solution, to configure and interact with the different devices on board each vehicle in a fleet to provide live video, GPS localization, and vehicle telematics. Security Center Transportation Sensor Management: ingests data from a wide variety of sensors to count people or vehicles entering the premises, track occupancy, and serve as triggers for procedures. Sipelia™ Communications Management: extends a transit organization’s security with SIP-based communications that promotes collaboration between colleagues through embedded audio and video calls while allowing operations staff to manage public address systems as well as incoming and outgoing calls with intercom devices. The portfolio also includes a number of additional options including: Genetec Mission Control™ is a collaborative decision management system that empowers transit agencies to use their existing sensors and security devices to collect and qualify data to identify complex situations and incidents. Once incidents are identified, the system launches a response that allows operators to follow transit-specific processes and meet compliance requirements. The Genetec Clearance™ collaborative investigation management system can help speed up investigations by allowing agencies to securely collect, manage, and share evidence from different sources with both internal and external stakeholders. Streamvault™ is a line of turnkey security infrastructure solutions that range from workstations to fully furnished servers and hardened onboard computers for vehicle fleets.  

AVIS Milano, a blood bank association based in Milano, Italy, would also like to send a huge ‘Thank You’ to MOBOTIX, Ideologica and all others involved for graciously providing state-of-the-art security measures. A thermal technology system was donated by MOBOTIX, the German multinational manufacturing company, and installed completely free-of-charge by its partner, Ideologica from Bergamo. This generous gesture is a sign of solidarity that also represents an action of social responsibility at an international level, to support the Lombard capital in a time of serious difficulty. Lombardy is still one of the regions most affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Due to the emergency, hospitals remain overcapacity, surgeries postponed, and staff continue to work fatigued because of what they’ve had to sustain over the past few months. In addition to this already critical situation, the Milanese capital suffers from a major blood scarcity. A significant figure in May 2020, 5,215 fewer blood units were collected (14.49% less) than in the same month of 2019. Many donations made were due to the appeals launched by AVIS Milano. Thanks to the responses of citizens, even non-periodic donors, who went to the Lambrate headquarters in recent weeks in order to generously help. To ensure donors’ maximum security and to avoid crowding in the waiting rooms, regulating access and managing the flow became extremely important. AVIS Milano has immediately taken necessary measures. Thanks to MOBOTIX’s donation and the completely free installation by Bergamo-based company, Ideologica, the association is now able to provide the highest level of protection before a potential donor is accepted. A MOBOTIX thermal TR imaging camera has been installed in the room where donors are processed and wait for access to donor acceptance protocols. The camera, which is equipped with a radiometric thermal sensor, is able to detect variations in temperature of those present in the access room. It was integrated into AVIS Milano’s existing system by Ideologica in just one afternoon, and was programmed to detect any temperature rise above 37.5 degrees Celsius (as required by law to allow the donation), with an accuracy level of 0.3 degree. If a donation candidate displays any change from this value, an immediate auditory alarm is triggered. The donation candidate with a potentially higher temperature is then escorted to another location and informed of the reasons for their donation refusal and is encouraged to visit his or her attending physician for further investigation. In respect of privacy, the system has not been set up to be viewed remotely with a video image on any external PC. The medical staff immediately receives a report that a person with a temperature above 37.5 degrees centigrade has appeared in the entrance hall. “Thanks to the contribution of MOBOTIX technology, we were able to identify the person potentially at risk of COVID-19 through the temperature symptom from the moment of entry, avoid contact with other donors present and advise the individual on an immediate follow-up with their doctor,” commented Sergio Casartelli, General Manager of AVIS Milan. “Technology should always be seen as positive improvement in any application regardless of how it is used, either to facilitate or to provide a final solution. We as MOBOTIX are committed to promoting and providing through our solutions and our partners as many benefits and opportunities as possible. “We are extremely proud and humbled that we could collaborate with AVIS and that our technology could support the work AVIS has done to ensure availability of blood in Milan. “This is one of the most important actions any organisation could have taken to provide support at this critical time,” concluded Phillip Antoniou, Vice President Sales Europe South / West & MEAPAC.  

Contrary to a widely shared popular belief, forest fires are not always caused by criminal actions. Depending on the location, fires may arise from natural causes such as frequency of lightning during a storm, or even due to lack of knowledge of local farmers in carrying out routine activities like clearing pasture areas that involves fire. These combustion related activities require thorough planning and correct timing. In line with this, Working On Fire (WOF) has extensive expertise in integrated fire management that combines prevention, readiness, response and recovery in possible environmental fires. It is responsible for the worldwide presence of Firehawk, a pioneer in the development of solutions to detect forest fires through cameras. It boasts 26 years of operation and 223 video surveillance cameras spread throughout South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Ghana and Malawi. For four years, Firehawk has been cooperating with Dahua Technology Brazil, a branch of world-leading video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider. Few years ago, Firehawk installed DH-PTZ19245U-IRB-N (-B) model after series of tests. It provides excellent performance, offers useful web API documentation, and can withstand severe local weather conditions. For this reason, Firehawk has named Dahua Technology Brazil as its main partner for forest fire detection. Challenges Massive wildfires like the recent cases in Australia have increased throughout the years, especially in countries such as USA, Portugal and Russia. According to a study by UN in cooperation with other major environmental agencies worldwide, governments should invest approximately 80% of their resources in the prevention of such disasters, and only 20% in the actual firefighting. In order to monitor and provide warning of possible occurrence of such event, WOF was contracted by Duratex, the largest producer of manufactured wood panels and sanitary wares and metals in the southern hemisphere, to deploy the Dahua video monitoring solution in its Minas Gerais forest areas. It covers about 75 thousand hectares between the municipalities of Uberlândia and Uberaba. This mining region has several preservation areas and is recognized for its sugar cane, eucalyptus and coffee plantations. An effective fire monitoring solution that can cover such a vast area would be very challenging to deploy. Thus, expertise of WOF and Firehawk are very valuable to ensure excellent performance and satisfying results throughout the project. Solution At Duratex, a camera was installed in each of the five stationary 75-meter tall towers, which was carried out by WOF in just 20 days. This solution covers 60 thousand hectares of forest, monitoring the region and providing alerts for possible occurrence of fire. The company’s successful experience in working with Eldorado Celulose S/A was essential in minimizing the challenges of installing and applying this particular technological solution. “We have highly qualified partners for the execution of the project, which greatly simplifies its performance. The experience of working with the Dahua solution – applied by Firehawk worldwide – is very positive,” said Daniel Santos, General Director of WOF in Brazil. “The Dahua video monitoring solution implemented at Duratex offers the reach of 60 thousand hectares of forest for monitoring the region and alerting to possible occurrences, carried out in an assertive and agile manner. Our company’s main mission is to promote the safety of our customers in their businesses and core activities through a wide portfolio of solutions such as thermal, biometric, embedded software etc.,” explained Fábio Lopes, Channel Director of Dahua Technology Brazil. In order to minimize the connectivity issue that is common in remote regions, WOF installed directional radio links to enable the adoption of this technology. In some towers, they also installed electric power generating units with photovoltaic solar panels. Moreover, the five cameras capture and send images to the monitoring center, utilizing AI to verify the lowest sending traffic. “The addition of this system substantially improved the speed of detection of fires and the management of firefighting resources,” said Daniela Rezende, Protection Specialist of Duratex.   The technology embedded in the solution promotes a rapid evaluation of the images, with a 360-degree perimeter coverage, and algorithm for searching smoke signals. It operates both day and night, and in situations of imminent risk, it triggers a visual and audible alarm. In favorable weather conditions, it can also cover a distance that exceeds 20km. Results The Dahua solution greatly helped reduce fire cases in the Minas Gerais forest areas. Faced with good results, the company plans to set up a dozen new cameras by the end of 2020 in the forest units of Duratex and its affiliates. “Duratex is very satisfied with this solution, so much that in 2020 we are already working on expanding its coverage area in Minas Gerais. We also have plans to start a project in our São Paulo unit,” said Rezende.