Vidient

Securing Rail and Transit Systems with Intelligent Video

Bus, rail and other public transportation systems are critical to a nation's economy. Every day millions of commuters use public transportation to get to work, and businesses rely on millions of miles of railroad track for transporting goods efficiently and safely. Unfortunately, these impressive statistics present serious challenges for protecting passengers, employees, cargo and the vital infrastructure they ride upon.

Protecting against accidents, vandalism, theft and attacks is a daunting task for rail and transit operators. Of particular concern are mass transit systems. Intrusions on the track and into tunnels, whether authorized, accidental or malicious, have serious consequences, ranging from safety and liability concerns to the disastrous impact of an attack. Those who intend to disrupt, deface or destroy have easy access to tunnels and other secure areas. And intrusions are not the only risks. Rail and transit operators face theft, vandalism and graffiti at equipment and supply depots. Abandoned objects at stations represent additional risks.

Governments have recognized this situation and are taking action. For example, in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security has created the Transit Security Grant program and the Freight Rail Security Grant Program, both providing millions of dollars to address these issues.

Improving Safety and Security With SmartCatch

Vidient's SmartCatch^® solution is an intelligent video-based threat detection system that provides rapid detection, assessment and response to intrusions and other threats. Through a software installation, SmartCatch converts virtually any CCTV system from one capable of only after-the-fact analysis to a true incident prevention system. Intruders are spotted instantly as they enter the tunnel or secure zone, suspicious bags on a crowded platform are revealed and potentially dangerous crowded conditions are recognized. The system identifies these situations, and others, and immediately provides video notification of the incident to security personnel for assessment, enabling them to take appropriate action. With CCTV alone, suspicious activities may be missed. With SmartCatch, events are recognized, and action can be taken, before a problem occurs.

• Track and Tunnel Intrusions: Legacy intrusion detection technology based on laser, microwave or vibration sensors and conventional video analytics solutions fail miserably in rail and transit environments because the train motion disrupts their ability to detect. Vidient has developed the Track and Tunnel Intrusion Detection (T2ID) System, designed specifically for the needs of these facilities. What makes T2ID truly unique is its ability to recognize the presence of a train and self-adjust so that it ignores the visual affects of the train's motion and the presence of humans inside the cars. This virtually eliminates false alarms, maintaining the viability of the system in all conditions. By automatically sensing the presence of a train and tuning out its effects, the system provides full-time protection against track and tunnel intrusions.
• Theft and Vandalism: Whether by vandalism or theft, rail suppliers and operators incur millions of dollars of losses each year. SmartCatch provides enhanced intrusion detection, many times at half the cost of fence sensors and other traditional technologies. SmartCatch can define flexible exclusion zones and alerts instantly when a person or vehicle enters into those zones. In addition, SmartCatch monitors for potential threats outside the perimeter, including stopped cars, speeding vehicles and abandoned packages. SmartCatch speeds alarm assessment by instantly displaying video of the incident as well as automatically tracking intruders with fixed and PTZ cameras.
• Abandoned and Unattended Objects: Just as with tunnel intrusions, mass transit systems present unique challenges for detecting suspicious objects. Travelers temporarily block the view of the object, and most objects, while stationary, are not actually left unattended. SmartCatch can detect suspicious objects that are not closely monitored despite typical platform traffic. Upon recognition of an object, video is delivered to officers to identify the origin of the object, assess the risk and develop an action plan.
• Overcrowding: Growing crowd or traffic congestion may indicate an operational problem or even an emergency situation. SmartCatch monitors both the degree of occupancy and the speed of movement by people and vehicles in user-defined areas, alerting personnel when any issues are detected.
• Loitering: Loitering, either human or vehicle, is often a precursor to malicious or dangerous activities. Even with diligent monitoring of CCTV video by security personnel, detecting suspicious humans or vehicles near high value or secure areas is difficult. Operating 24 hours a day, SmartCatch identifies potential threats before trouble occurs.

Improving Revenue and Operational Efficiency

Safety and security are but one set of challenges faced by rail and transit organizations. Transit operators may need to collect usage information not available through ticketing systems. For example, it may be useful to count the number of people who transfer from one line to another, or to get real-time passenger counts during special events, or to gather minute-by-minute queue length and wait times to assess the customer experience. The SmartCatch Business Intelligence Suite automatically analyzes and interprets information from CCTV cameras to track information such as customer behavior, usage, occupancy, line lengths and wait times. For accurate counting, SmartCatch uses advanced classification technology to ignore uninteresting objects, while recognizing humans. Alerts can be generated based on user established thresholds, so operations issues can be immediately addressed. The statistics information is also stored in an industry-standard database for later analysis.

Lower costs, Increased safety, security and operational efficiency

SmartCatch Intelligent Video provides a measurable return on investment by improving safety, security, operational efficiencies, lowering human surveillance costs and protecting assets. The system leverages existing video infrastructure, transforming it from a recording system to one that can prevent thefts, injury, attacks and vandalism. The end result is an integrated, cost-effective solution that offers actionable 24/7 surveillance without requiring wholesale changes to existing infrastructure.

Solutions

• Critical Infrastructure
• Transportation
• Airports
• Borders
• Enterprises
• Extended Supply Chain

Vidient Smartcatch

Benefits of Intelligent Video

• Eliminate Access Violations
• Increase Public Safety
• Identify Loitering, Overcrowding and Abandoned Objects
• Automatically Monitor Miles of Track and Roadway
• Protect High-value Assets
• Achieve TSA Security Compliance
• Receive Real-time Intrusion Alerts
• Integrate with CCTV, Access Control, Radar and Other Systems

Available Site-wide Recognition Solutions

Bus and Rail System Protection

• Perimeter Intrusion - detects and tracks people, vehicles or other object intrusions into secured areas
• Turnstile Violation - detects people hopping over or crawling under an access gate
• Loitering - detects people or vehicles loitering near secure/high value areas
• Crowd Detection - detects growing crowd sizes to prevent overcrowding
• Unattended Objects - detects packages and other objects that are left unattended for a prolonged period
• Exit Lane - detects people going the wrong way in an exit lane
• Removed Objects - detects the removal of equipment or other stationary objects
• Human Tailgating - detects multiple people entering a secure area on a single access card
• Vehicle Tailgating - detects multiple vehicles entering through an access control point on a single card
• Stopped Vehicle - detects vehicles stopped near sensitive areas for a prolonged period

© 2008 Vidient Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Vidient and SmartCatch are registered trademarks of Vidient Inc.