VOLUME 25 NO. 3 DECEMBER Safe City. Addressing the challenges faced by urban cities MICA (P) 091/06/2012 ISSN

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1 VOLUME 25 NO. 3 DECEMBER 2012 Safe City Addressing the challenges faced by urban cities MICA (P) 091/06/2012 ISSN

2 N E W S Contents E L E C T R O N I C S R E V I E W Volume 25 No. 3 Dec 2012 NEWS 3 Higher profit before tax in third quarter 3 ST Electronics wins rail electronics and satcom contracts 4 无锡地铁引入新科电子综合监控技术 AWARDS 5 IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 6 Microsoft Partners Star Awards 2012 ST Electronics (Info-Software Systems) wins National System Integrator Award APPLICATION NOTES 13 The evolution of technology in traffic management 17 The essence of effective video analytics PRODUCTS 21 Keeping a watch on territorial boundaries seeing is believing 24 Integrated Security Management System for key installation protection 26 Intelligent System for Advanced Control Centre (isacc) 27 Agilis Manpack Terminal A custom-built, compact, highly mobile and easily deployed VSAT terminal 28 idirect achieves 100Mbps with Evolution X7 Remote Next-generation remote powers high-bandwidth applications, unleashes the performance of high throughput satellites EVENTS 29 Indo Defence International Myanmar ICT Exhibition 30 4th Shanghai International Disaster Reduction & Security Show 30 GovWare China Satellite IBC It s a goal! ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) hosts live Barclays Premier League match screening 34 Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Dynamic Tour MRTA 20th Anniversary Technology Exhibition 36 Cultivating the spirit of innovation ST Electronics Business Innovation Competition 36 Upcoming events FEATURE 7 Safe City Addressing the challenges faced by urban cities 12 Meeting challenges of growing cities ST Electronics embarks on R&D in Smart Utilities solutions... with related application notes and product articles from page 13 to 26 Electronics Review is published by Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited 24 Ang Mo Kio Street 65 Singapore (Regn no E) Tel: Fax:

3 N E W S Higher profit before tax in third quarter For the third quarter of 2012 (3Q2012), ST Electronics delivered higher profit before tax compared to the same quarter in Barring unforeseen circumstances, ST Electronics expects revenue and profit before tax for the full year 2012 to be higher compared to This will be due to sales recognition from an Automatic Fare Collection System for Bangkok Mass Transit System Extension E10 to E14, Taiwan MRT project, the Singapore Land Transport Authority s Communications and Integrated Supervisory Control System and Half-Height Platform Screen Doors projects for the Large-scale Systems Group. The Communication & Sensor Systems Group expects sales recognition from an Advanced Combat Man System, the supply of telematics systems and satellite communications products, while the Software Systems Group will record sales recognition from the milestone completions of a simulator project, a software system project and managed services sales. S$m 3Q2012 3Q2011 % 2Q2012 % Revenue (3) Earnings before interest & tax Other income, net (22) Finance costs, net (0.9) (1.1) 17 (0.4) (150) Profit before tax (4) Profit attributable to shareholders (2) ST Electronics wins rail electronics and satcom contracts In the third quarter of 2012, ST Electronics announced that it had been awarded some S$166m worth of contracts for its rail electronics and satellite communications (satcom) and sensor solutions. Leading the company on track, the Large-scale Systems Group was awarded a RMB198m (about S$39m) contract in the city of Wuxi, China. Together with Jiangsu Daway Technologies Co., Ltd, ST Electronics will supply, deliver, install, test and commission, as well as provide warranty for an Integrated Supervisory Control System (ISCS) for Wuxi Metro Lines 1 and 2. Work on this project is expected to be completed by the end of Wuxi Metro ISCS contract signing ceremony In another rail electronics success, VGI Global Media Public Company Limited awarded ST Electronics a continued on page 4... DECEMBER

4 N E W S 无锡地铁引入新科电子综合监控技术 上海新科电子与无锡地铁就 1 2 号线综合监控系统采购合同签约仪式于 8 月 23 日在无锡湖滨饭店顺利举行 这标志着继广州之后新科电子综合监控技术在中国的又一成功应用 无锡地铁 1 号 2 号线总长 56.1 公里, 共设车站 46 座 分别计划于 2014 年中和年底通车 目前随着无锡地铁建设的逐步推进, 新科电子正联合合作伙伴大为科技一同为无锡地铁最关键的 神经中枢 进行缜密详尽的设计规划, 以便配合年底无锡地铁 1 号线的机电安装工程, 使综合监控解决方案与其他机电系统进行无缝衔接, 发挥最高效益的作用 新科电子此次为无锡地铁提供的综合监控系统包含三大功能, 担负着对全线主要设备的日常自动定时启停控制 全线牵引供电的日常快速停送电控制 全线列车运行状态和各类数据监控的重任 系统将监视地铁弱电系统的信息并反馈给控制中心调度人员, 使控制中心调度人员在最短时 无锡市长朱克江与新加坡科技电子有限公司总裁李福燊进行会面 间内作出相应反应, 此系统在地铁的安全运营中发挥着极为重要的作用 签约仪式前, 无锡的朱克江市长与新加坡科技电子有限公司总裁李福燊进行了会面, 朱市长表示 : 地铁建设有助于提升城市形象 扩大城市容量 构建现代化体系, 促进无锡产业升级 非常感谢新科电子为他们带去先进的核心技术, 为无锡现代化建设添砖加瓦 希望新科电子与无锡地铁的合作就如新加坡和中国的源远流长的传统友谊一样, 紧密无间, 战略共赢 ST Electronics wins rail electronics and satcom contracts...continued from page 3 contract to supply half-height platform screen doors for the BTS SkyTrain in Bangkok, Thailand. This S$13m contract includes a two-year maintenance service for the doors, which will be installed in nine BTS Skytrain stations. This project is expected to be completed at the end of ST Electronics half-height platform screen door team at BTS SkyTrain station ST Electronics also secured about S$114m worth of contracts for the supply of satcom systems to mostly international customers in the third quarter of These included satcom network infrastructure and products such as satellite hubs and routers, earth stations, cellular backhaul solutions and the Agilis VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) systems. 4 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

5 A W A R D S IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards ST Electronics won two IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards this year. This coveted award, which is presented annually by the Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES), recognises organisations or persons for their outstanding and innovative contributions to engineering processes, products and projects which make significant contributions to the well-being and quality of life of residents in Singapore. Half-height Platform Screen Doors ST Electronics Large-scale Systems Group (LSG) won the Award for its successful retrofitting of Half-height Platform Screen Doors (HHPSD) at existing subway stations both in Singapore and the region. ST Electronics journey in building its capability in the area of Platform Screen Doors (PSD) started in 2001 when it embarked on its first PSD system project for a new mass rapid transit (MRT) line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Over the years, the company has invested significantly in research and development, embracing leadingedge technologies in its PSD system. It is adept at installing PSDs for new projects and existing stations. Some of ST Electronics' HHPSD projects include the Taipei MRT Red and Blue Lines; Singapore North-South and East-West MRT Lines; and the Bangkok BTS SkyTrain. Unlike new station installations, retrofitting PSD systems in existing stations poses many challenges and requires wider disciplinary expertise from the PSD system providers. For example, during the retrofitting period, the subway stations must Mr Ang Ban Sher (right), Senior Vice President, International Business, LSG receiving the IES Award from Prof Cham Tao Soon, President, Singapore Academy of Engineering. On the left, Dr Richard Kwok, Chairman, NED 2012 Organising Committee. From left: Mr Or Teck Seng, Mr Ang Ban Sher, Mr Thong Cheok Wah and Mr Low Keng Choong at the award ceremony remain operational without causing disruptions to regular train services and inconvenience to commuters. PSD system providers have to meet tight project schedules, but are restricted to carrying out most of the site work within a small window of time each day. This requires meticulous planning and precise execution. Apart from PSD system knowledge and its interfaces with various systems, expertise and knowledge in the areas of structural engineering, air-conditioning and power supply, etc, are also vital for PSD system providers. The Award recognises organisations or persons for their outstanding and innovative contributions to engineering processes, products and projects that made significant contributions to the well-being and quality of life of residents in Singapore. continued on page 6... DECEMBER

6 A W A R D S Microsoft Partners Star Awards 2012 ST Electronics (Info-Software Systems) wins National System Integrator Award ST Electronics (Info-Software Systems) was presented the National System Integrator (NSI) Award at this year s Microsoft Partners Star Awards on 24 October The National System Integrator Award is a global award recognising the key national system integrator in each country that has demonstrated partner commitment to the Microsoft platform, contributed significantly to clinching major contracts and strategic products innovation, and achieved key business and technical competency. (Above) Attendees at the award ceremony (Left) Ms Stephanie Hung, Public Sector Director of Microsoft Singapore, presenting the award to Mr Teo Jing Siong, Deputy President, Defence Business & Business Development, ST Electronics (Info-Software Systems) IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards...continued from page 5 From left, Dr Richard Kwok, Chairman, NED 2012 Organising Committee; Prof Cham Tao Soon, President, Singapore Academy of Engineering and Mr Lionel Gouw, Chief Technology Officer, ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) EMAS for Major Arterial Roads Phase 1 ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) also received the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2012 for its Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS) for Major Arterial Roads Phase 1. This is the first time EMAS is being applied to manage major arterial roads that also serve as alternative bypass routes to the expressways in Singapore. EMAS is a highly automated and robust system that provides early detection of incidents on the road, enhancing road safety, minimising traffic congestion and ensuring smooth integration with other existing sub-systems. For motorists, this system provides them with realtime information on traffic conditions. Traffic advisories, realtime congestion and accident updates are disseminated to motorists through the electronic message signages on the expressways and arterial roads. This allows motorists to better plan their routes so as to avoid the roads affected by congestions and incidents, and thereby save commuting time. For more information on Half-Height Platform Screen Door, please contact Low Ming Chuan at (65) or lowmingchuan@stee.stengg.com For more information on EMAS for Major Arterial Roads, please call (65) or info_infocomm@stee.stengg.com 6 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

7 F E A T U R E Safe City Addressing the challenges faced by urban cities By 2050, 70 percent of the world s population is expected to live in urban cities. Overcrowding, safety, health and the environments well-being will become major issues that these cities have to address. One of the key requirements of an urban city is to provide a safe and secure environment for its citizens. As a leading Information Communications Technology (ICT) company, ST Electronics has leveraged its domain expertise and technologies to develop Safe City a suite of solutions for cities to address urbanisation, sustainability and environmental challenges. DECEMBER

8 F E A T U R E Safe City: Feel. Connect. Think. Share FEEL the Vibes of a City By deploying various sensors, a city can become intelligent. There are many types of sensors: video cameras, environmental sensors, electro optics sensors, radars and intrusion detection sensors, etc. Large fleets of taxis installed with GPS can be used as probes to detect congestion on roads. Even citizens can be a source of information with the proliferation of smart devices and social media. A Smart and Safe City is one where the information derived from a multitude of different sensors from different parts of the city are pulled together; enabling the authorities to manage safety and security for its citizens. ST Electronics has the expertise and experience in implementing intelligent systems for governments and large enterprises. Some of our intelligent system which enhance safety and security follow. The i-transport solution is an advanced Integrated Traffic Management System that centrally manages various subsystems including junctions, expressways and arterial roads traffic surveillance and monitoring as well as incident management (see page Video analytics as a security solution for article on The Evolution of Technology in Traffic Management). The cetrac Intelligent Transport Security System (i-transec) offers full asset and resource visibility suited for transport authorities, homeland security agencies and commercial fleet owners. It provides a common platform to consolidate data from individual traffic and fleet management systems to better manage traffic junctions, automate detection and monitor traffic incidents, carry out effective enforcement and mass notification of incidents. The Intelligent Water Management System from ST Electronics integrates realtime information on water resources in Singapore and manages water operations across the entire water supply, water catchment, used water and drainage systems more efficiently. ST Electronics Video Intelligence Solution (ViS) offers a comprehensive range of video content analytics-based Photo courtesy of IZESS Pte Ltd solutions that can be fully integrated to any existing command and control system. ST Electronics uses advanced video analytics covering face recognition in crowded scenes, facial indexing, advanced objects recognition, dwelling, abnormal behaviour analysis, pattern recognition and licence plate recognition. All these perform simultaneously to enhance situational awareness and improve decision-making processes. Surveillance and other security information can be instantly searched by activities, motion, specific people or groups of people, colours or transaction data. People profiles can also be managed with associated biometric data, and alerts set up for future detection of people on security watchlists. Among its stable of solutions, ST Electronics also offers an Integrated Security Management System (ISMS), SecurNet. This integrates all sub-systems such as perimeter intrusion detection, access 8 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

9 control, identity management and digital video with the intelligence to trigger certain processes automatically upon detection and confirmation of violation of security pre-set parameters of the various systems. (See page for article on The Essence of Effective Video Analytics.) SecurNet V7, the next generation enterprise ISMS, is ST Electronics flagship product and has been the preferred choice for key installations such as airports, prisons, government buildings, institutions and military bases. The product has evolved over the last 20 years and is a market leader, proven and tested to meet stringent security requirements. SecurNet is compliant with ISO standards and was the first solution to be rolled for deployment of stringent and secured smart card and biometric verification that adhered strictly to Smart Visa Identification Passport (SmartVIP) and Intelligent Nation Biometric Access Controls identity, so as to prevent identity fraud, tampering, counterfeiting and terrorist exploitation. (See page for article on Integrated Security Management System for Key Installation Protection.) The SmartVIP complies with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guideline for Logical Data Structure for electronic machine-readable travel documents that support both passive and active authentication mechanisms. These standards are now officially published as the Singapore Standard for Identification SSID SS529. Video data, traffic data, commuter flow, water levels in flood-prone areas, incident detection, intrusion detection are all useful information that a city needs to provide a safe, secure, efficient living and working environment for its citizens. CONNECT in a network For effective and efficient communication and management of sensors, the sensors must be connected to a reliable and robust network infrastructure. ST Electronics has the capability to design, secure and integrate disparate systems, to network infrastructure and solutions into a unified platform essential for building a safe city. STELOP s payloads provide an all-weather multi-imaging system for coastal surveillance (see page for Electro Optic products.) The Integrated Security Management System (INBAC) standards initiated by the Singapore Internal Security Department under the Ministry of Home Affair. The INBAC standard governs the biometrics identification for door access and border crossing applications. The standard sets the criteria for the electronic verification and authentication of an individual s The company s in-house developed IP based SuperneT Unified Communication Centre Suite (UCCS) has been developed to integrate a wide range of communication systems to facilitate seamless interoperability and communications among disparate systems and devices. It is suited for command centres and command vehicles for use in emergencies and public safety operations. SuperneT Unified Communication Centre Suite (UCCS) DECEMBER

10 F E A T U R E Public safety requires good wireless signal coverage to ensure reliable operations in wide geographic regions that include major population centres, rural areas as well as in buildings and tunnels. Emergency responders must have guaranteed access to reliable and instantaneous communications at all times to effectively respond to emergency incidents. If terrestrial networks fail during a natural disaster, satellite communications (satcom) is a viable alternative. With the idirect Intelligent Platform, first responders have full communications capabilities with voice, data and video whether in a densely populated urban area where the infrastructure is damaged, or in a remote and isolated location where no infrastructure exists. The pervasive use of smartphones and tablets has led to increased demand for higher bandwidth, data-rich applications and business intelligence to drive efficiencies in government agencies. Quality of Service (QoS), high resilience and reliability are also essential elements in a network for mission critical communications. But a public commercial broadband network will not fulfil most of these technical requirements. ST Electronics has embarked on developing Long Term Evolution (LTE) solutions that allow large amount of data to be transmitted wirelessly in realtime at greater speeds with high reliability and resilience. This enables government agencies to share information seamlessly, thereby reducing processing and response time during emergency operations. The company has field-proven experience and extensive resources to manage large, demanding and complex projects for public safety Intelligent System for Advanced Control Centre (isacc) agencies in their drive towards maintaining a safe city. Some of these projects are a realtime Command, Control and Communication (C3) Network for Singapore s Ministry of Home Affairs, Expandable Mobile Command Hubs for the Singapore Police Force, equipped with C4 capabilities (C3 & Computer) to provide integrated communications, surveillance and advanced electronics systems to support on-site mission planning and operations for large-scale incidents, emergencies and disasters. Connecting a network is never complete without securing it to ensure uninterrupted operation of critical infrastructures that are vital assets to ensuring a safe city. ST Electronics provides a full spectrum of products and services designed to fulfil the highest standards for all-rounded information security. Its DIGISAFE EtherCrypt and NetCrypt provide high speed communication security and network security respectively. Its in-house Security Operations Centre also provides security monitoring and advisory to guard against potential cyber-attacks. The company has put in place a cyber defence framework comprising protection, detection, response and recovery. It integrates people, processes and technologies to secure and protect against potentially damaging network intrusions. THINK and make sense of data Data can stream into a command centre in a variety of forms, in large quantities, with dynamic and rapid changes, its authenticity may require verification. Making sense of data requires realtime computing to store, categorise and contextualise the data. Tools are also required for video content analytics, social media analytics and data visualisation; to display information that is easily understood. Data mined can be processed, modelled and transformed into more intelligible patterns and trends that would be useful to chart the next course of action. Over the years, ST Electronics has delivered command centres to transport, airport and environment authorities, public safety agencies and operators of large complexes. 10 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

11 The isacc (Intelligent System for Advanced Control Centre) from ST Electronics can be best deployed for operations centres that need to manage mission-critical resources, as well as handle crises. It uses advanced sense-making technologies in designing visual displays to assist in situational awareness and collaborative planning. Equipped with a set of intelligent support tools that can be customised for different rules, it anticipates issues and enables the making of informed decisions. A command centre chief can even create scenarios to train and familiarise users with the processes in coordinating incident response and management. (See page 26 for article on Intelligent System for Advanced Control Centre [isacc].) In large cities, huge masses of people use public transport to commute between destinations. To ensure the safety and security of commuters in railway and subway stations, many security measures are deployed. For rail systems, these include using CCTVs and platform screen doors to ensure safety, to prevent intrusion and to manage access control. Through ST Electronics Integrated Supervisory Control System (ISCS), rail system control centre operators are able to see live images and videos feedback from various sensors. This enables them to monitor situations and manage incidents as they happen. SHARE the knowledge With these systems in place, city authorities will then be equipped with knowledge and decision support capabilities to facilitate optimal deployment of manpower and assets when responding to incidents and events. Existing disparate systems can be seamlessly integrated onto one unified platform for better interoperability and communication. Alerts can be sent to citizens should there be a need for a nationwide warning of an impending safety or security issue. A central collaborative command hub would be ideal to empower the authorities in mission critical operations with the capability to monitor and coordinate response in realtime for air, land and sea operations. However, sharing information across different agencies may be easier said than done. Upholding of individual agencies policies, operational secrecy and data privacy laws could be stumbling blocks. One solution is to develop a Think Engine where everybody feeds their data into. This black box will then process information based on various inputs, but will only release authorised information back to each individual participant. In order for this approach to be successful, it will be necessary to adopt a data interchange standards such as the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) so that critical data can be shared across the participating organisations. Safe City: Ensuring safety and security in cities of the future Safe City aims to improve the quality of life, allowing people to live, work and play in a secure and safe environment. ST Electronics has the depth of experience and breadth of solutions to provide city planners and authorities with the suitable answer to help them address, improve and transform service delivery to their citizens. Photo courtesy of IZESS Pte Ltd For more information, please call (65) or mktg.elect@stengg.com DECEMBER

12 F E A T U R E Meeting challenges of growing cities ST Electronics embarks on R&D in Smart Utilities solutions Photo courtesy of IZESS Pte Ltd Over the years, ST Electronics has offered its innovative Smart Utilities products, solutions and services to enhance the infrastructure of cities around the world. Now, it aims to help cities address urbanisation, sustainability and environmental challenges by offering further enhancements of its Smart Utilities solutions and applications. Towards this end, ST Electronics has embarked on more in-depth Research and Development (R&D) activities in Smart Utilities solutions and technologies with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). The company will tap the EDB s broad network of related industry knowledge and extend its existing competencies in Smart Utilities to offer a more comprehensive suite of integrated smart utilities solutions. This will help build more efficient, clean and safe cities. The Smart Utilities R&D will focus on enhancing smart resource management, distribution and consumption management of utilities (electricity, water and gas). These include solutions that will be robust and converge multi-utility network infrastructure, facilitating integrated electricity, water and gas management. The solutions will capitalise on ST Electronics advanced communications technologies, comprehensive security suite and a highly flexible and scalable network management system to address different deployment scenarios. The company s Smart Utilities suite also supports timely and reliable information collection and offers a higher level of competition in the utility retail market. This will eventually lead to increased operational efficiencies, utility resource optimisation and cost savings for utilities service providers and retailers. No stranger to the Smart Utilities arena, ST Electronics participated in Singapore s Energy Market Authority s Intelligent Energy System (IES) pilot project and is designing and implementing the critical infrastructure to enable smart grid applications for Phase 1 of the IES pilot project. It is also developing and implementing important segments of an Intelligent Water Management System (IWMS) in Singapore. The IWMS will visually display critical information including the location of water incidents such as damaged or leaking pipes. Response teams can be quickly despatched and have access to accurate information and route guidance. EDB is pleased that ST Electronics is making a strategic move into Smart Utilities as a new growth frontier, said Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director, EDB. This fast-growing sector will help further diversify Singapore s clean technology industry into smart grids and energy management. Through the close partnership with our government agencies, he added, the R&D focus is aligned with Singapore s position as a Living Laboratory where companies can develop, test, prove and commercialise innovative green solutions for Asian and global markets. Large cities will be a joy to live in provided they are safe, clean and efficient. Our Smart Utilities systems will allow city planners to improve operational efficiencies through better management of water, electricity and gas distribution. We are excited by what technology could offer and we look forward to close partnership with EDB and research institutions to enhance our value proposition, commented Mr Lee Fook Sun, President, ST Electronics. For more information, please call (65) or info_infocomm@stee.stengg.com 12 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

13 A P P L I C A T I O N N O T E S The evolution of technology in traffic management By Sing Mong Kee, Vice President, Intelligent Transport Systems & International Business, ST Electronics (Info-Comm Systems) This paper was originally published in the May 2012 issue of JOURNEYS, LTA Academy In the majority of fast developing cities, the same phenomenon of rapid motorisation, poor urban planning and inadequate transportation capacity leads to poor mobility and congestion. Transport authorities struggle to acquire land to expand road networks, so as to cope with the growing traffic demand. More often than not, the increased capacity is quickly saturated and traffic congestion starts anew. Developments that generate high traffic demand need a good comprehensive transportation system, underpinning the need for the integration of land use and transport planning. As an example, the Transit- Oriented Development (TOD) concept has been widely adopted in urban planning to reduce the dependence on cars for mobility by creating compact, pedestrian friendly communities around public transport nodes. However, public transport still cannot compete with cars that provide the comfort, privacy and mobility that every commuter aspires to. Hence, there is a need to continually improve the public transport network and services to maximise its advantages. Traffic management is a round-theclock operation that ensures that traffic on the road is well distributed and smooth flowing. However, peak hour traffic and traffic incidents can create turbulence to the normal traffic flows that road capacities are designed for. Nowadays, traffic management is a much complex operation as compared to the early days of motorisation when traffic policemen at traffic intersections directing the traffic sufficed. Transport authorities around the world are relying more and more on advanced technologies to help manage traffic more efficiently (Figure 1). Leveraging Technology Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are well proven applications of information and communication technologies that integrate transport infrastructure, vehicles and users to better manage transportation issues. ITS has evolved in three broad phases. The first phase is the adoption of technology by the transport authorities and operators to enhance their operational efficiencies. The second phase is the wide dissemination of realtime traffic information and transport services via various communication media such as radio, Internet and handheld Figure 1: Meeting Mobility Needs devices. It is now entering the third phase where an interactive transport community among the transport operators, service providers, government agencies and travellers is evolving to provide personalised information and services. Phase I Enhancing Operational Efficiencies In the early days of motorisation, traffic management means deploying traffic policemen at traffic intersections. Today, it is difficult to manage an intersection without traffic signal lights. Besides signalling the traffic to stop or go, they also allocate the green time according to traffic demand. The traffic signal lights at one intersection also coordinate with other traffic signal lights at adjacent intersections to provide a non-stop drive, or a green wave through a series of intersections. Without realtime information feedback SEPTEMBER DECEMBER

14 A P P L I C A T I O N N O T E S defence agencies can be activated quickly to carry out coordinated rescue efforts. All this minimises delays and saves lives especially when there are serious injuries involved. Enforcement cameras are widely adopted by the traffic police to improve road safety. They are used to deter speeding along highways and the running of red lights at road intersections. at intersections, traffic incidents such as vehicle breakdowns, accidents and illegal parking, which cause bottlenecks in traffic flows, may not receive immediate attention. Hence the transport authorities install CCTVs to provide remote surveillance of the intersections. Intelligent sensors are added to detect incidents and provide alerts so that less resources are required to look out for traffic incidents (Figure 2). Figure 2: Main Functions of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) fee collection and enforcement of congestion pricing. Without technology, extensive resources are required to ensure the proper operation of such systems. To manage the non-recurrent congestions, traffic sensors, CCTV networks and smart command centres are essential for quick detection of and response to traffic incidents. Traffic police and civil Taxi fleet operators can enhance their fleet management with technology. Equipping taxis with GPS and mobile display terminals allows the operation centres to track and communicate with their taxis which can then respond to calls quickly. This enhances operational efficiencies while augmenting service levels at the same time. Commuters will find it easy to call for taxis and have comfort in knowing that a taxi will arrive within a stated time (Figure 3). Phase II Sharing Realtime Information Successful management of Congestion can be recurrent and non-recurrent in nature. A recurrent congestion is normally due to peak hour traffic causing traffic demand to exceed the capacity of the roadway. A non-recurrent congestion is due to ad-hoc traffic incidents such as accidents and vehicle breakdowns that reduce roadway capacities. Solving a congestion problem now relies very much on technology. Transport authorities are turning to a congestion pricing strategy to tackle the recurrent congestion. Motorists have to pay a fee to enter the congested roadways or restricted zones. Technology helps automate the whole process of vehicle identification, Figure 3: Taxi Despatch System 14 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

15 congestion requires the collaborative efforts of stakeholders such as transport authorities, traffic police, fire departments, transport operators, service providers and travellers. Enabling them to work together requires them to share realtime information (Figure 4). The collaborative effort of transport authorities, the traffic police and fire departments will enable quick responses to traffic incidents and quick recovery of normal traffic flow. A timely response is critical, especially for accident victims who are seriously injured. Fleet operators who manage public transport are critical for providing alternative modes of transport to motorists, particularly when roads are congested. The ability to switch between alternative modes of transport is crucial to minimise the build-up of traffic at bottlenecks. Realtime information of traffic conditions is therefore important for motorists who will then be able to switch to alternative transport modes before they set out. The realtime information is also critical to commercial fleet operators who want to achieve just-in-time delivery. They can despatch vehicles to use alternative routes, instead of letting them sit in the congestion and delay deliveries. Service providers such as media and telecommunications companies are important stakeholders in disseminating realtime information to alert motorists about the traffic conditions via radio, SMS, web services and television. Service providers of vehicle assistance or concierge services will be able to use the realtime information to advise and guide their customers, enhancing their customer services. Travellers who have access to realtime information will also be able to make informed decisions on the best alternative routes or transport modes, or even to adjust their departure so as to avoid congestion or congested routes. It is important that this information evolves into a multi-modal transport information. Travellers will Figure 5: Integration of Private and Public Transport Information Figure 4: The Stakeholders then see the entire transportation system as a better alternative to the use of personal cars or even the use of public transport only. Based on this multi-modal transport information, they can decide to travel via a combination of transport modes that best suit their criteria of shortest time, lowest cost or convenience, to reach their destination seamlessly. The multi-modal transport information will have wide ranging information about the transportation system, such as traffic conditions, parking space availability, public transport services, travel times, incidents and delays, etc. Realtime information is critical for overall operations. All stakeholders should be well connected to access and share the information (Figure 5). Phase III Interactive Services Currently, most motorists are kept informed of traffic conditions via radio, handheld devices (smartphones), DECEMBER

16 A P P L I C A T I O N N O T E S Figure 6: Interactive Transport Community Internet, etc. However, this information is often in the form of a broadcast. This means that motorists may get information that is not relevant to them as they may not be affected by the location of the broadcast traffic condition. Some may find this broadcast information not useful, particularly when information about alternatives to avoiding the problem area would be more useful. The third phase of ITS will see more personalised information and interactive transport related services being developed and promoted. ST Electronics has developed the Telematics Service Hub or otto-go to provide an integrated platform to support these interactive transport related services. otto-go Telematics Service Hub provides a unified and interactive telematics service platform that disseminates realtime customercentric information and services to travellers. It adopts open platform standards that allow service providers to develop value-added services and contents targeted at drivers and other road users. These value-added services include traffic-related information (navigation, traffic alerts and road routes), location-based services, multi-modal transit services, infotainment services, etc. The service providers may comprise transport authorities, public safety and law enforcement agencies, fleet operators, logistics companies, telecommunications companies, banks, vehicle manufacturers and other commercial organisations. An interactive community will then be established to respond to the needs of travellers, delivering a unique travelling experience to every traveller (Figure 6). Conclusion ITS may have started as a tool for transport authorities to enhance their operational efficiencies in traffic management, but they also generate useful realtime information to bring all stakeholders to collaborate and respond to transportation needs, demands and woes. More importantly, travellers are getting more empowered in their decisionmaking about their journey and enjoy such services during their commute. Besides the three phases, more exciting technologies are being developed globally to enable vehicleto-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-pedestrian interactions. ITS enhances safety, makes traffic more efficient and reliable and considerably more environmentally friendly. It empowers the travellers and enriches the overall travel experience. Before we get carried away with the wonders of ITS, it is important to note that ITS only works well to keep congestion at bay if alternative choices of travel are available. Otherwise, we have to resort to the traditional approach of expanding road and transit networks to meet the ever growing road and travel population. For more information, please call (65) or info_infocomm@stee.stengg.com 16 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

17 The essence of effective video analytics Video Analytics or Video Content Analysis (VCA) is the technique of using computer vision algorithms to analyse live video footages from CCTV surveillance cameras. Commercialisation of this technology began about five years ago, and it has been billed as the panacea to overcome the problems that security personnel face when monitoring CCTV screens, such as the well-documented twenty minutes maximum attention span. Slated as the next big thing in the security industry, video analytics has vendors quickly pushed the hype, suggesting that the technology could deliver artificial intelligence approaching the cognitive abilities of a human. In reality, early adopters of video analytics soon discovered that early products fell short of their promised performance parametres, being difficult to configure when out in the field and plagued by large numbers of false alarms. Many became disillusioned and quickly declared the technology as an overhyped gimmick. capabilities, limitations and mitigation measures of video analytics. How Video Analytics Works for Intrusion Detection Unlike the human visual cognitive system, typical video analytics techniques analyse image scenes at the pixel level. They are able to identify groups of moving pixels and can indirectly infer the type of object from the size and general shape of the group of pixels. A tracker (software) module then attempts to track the movement of the pixel group (also known as the blob ) and checks if the blob s movement crosses a virtual tripwire or enters a prohibited zone Video Source Change Detection Engine & Tracking (Low Level) Moving Target Outline (Blobs), Target IDs is easily fooled by any of the following environmental conditions: Sudden lighting changes due to passing clouds, headlights or floodlights; Tree branches and leaves blowing in the wind; Water reflections and the continuous movement in the fields such as fountains, rain or fog; Animals, birds, insects, lizards, etc; Camera shake due to improper or unstable mounting. Each of the above conditions causes pixel changes in the video image, Target Track Analysis (Rules Engine) (High Level) Event Trigger Detection Output Does this then mean that security managers today should disregard video analytics entirely from their security systems arsenal? Current State of Video Analytics Technology The fact is that over the years, video analytics has continued to evolve and mature. While it is believed that the current state of technology will not approach human cognitive vision capabilities for another two to three decades, current video analytics technology can readily be deployed, especially for intrusion detection. The key to effective deployment of the technology is to understand the (the detection rule). A system alarm is raised if the detection rule condition is activated. At first glance, this simple technique will effectively detect intruders climbing over a perimeter fence or entering a prohibited area. In actual deployment it is often rendered less effective by various pitfalls. Common Pitfalls In field deployments, the basic video analytics motion analysis technique Pipeline of a basic video analytics intrusion detection engine thereby wrongly activating video analytics detection rules and often generating a high rate of false alarms. So while the basic technique will successfully detect a real human intruder under the right conditions, the comparatively high number of false alarms actually creates more fatigue for the security personnel rather than help them. To suppress the effects of these nuisance movements, many contemporary video analytics products DECEMBER

18 A P P L I C A T I O N N O T E S Extrapolated Horizon A perspective camera scene. Each small and large rectangular box group represents the minimum and maximum probable people size at near field and far field positions A graphical depiction of calibrating a scene s perspective geometry in software. If the height of the reference person is also known then it is possible to deduce the size of all objects in the scene allow the user to configure the pixel change detection sensitivity to reduce the false alarm rate. Unfortunately reducing detection sensitivity not only reduces the false alarm rate, but sometimes reduces the true detection rates as well. It is therefore common to find products that have a bewildering range of settings that require system engineers to spend days fine-tuning them before they deliver the right results. Even then, there can be on-going problems because of changes in the weather and environment (such as new overgrowth, swaying vegetation), so much so that experts have to be called in repeatedly to verify. Another limitation of video analytics is the inability to perform effectively under insufficient light levels or when the field of view is compromised, such as during the night or in heavy rain. Many end users forget that if the cameras cannot see, neither will any video-based technology. A major limitation that may not be immediately obvious to most users is that today s video analytics technology cannot truly recognise object types unlike the ability of a human. For instance, the basic video analytics algorithm cannot deduce that a lizard crawling on the camera housing window (a common phenomenon) is actually a reptile and will pose no security threat compared to a person who is approaching a perimeter fence. Nor can current technology readily recognise a grass-cutting worker probably has more benign intentions than a stealthily-moving person in a camouflaged outfit. Tilting the Balance Naturally, video analytics vendors typically highlight the benefits of video analytics and may play down the corresponding limitations to potential customers. It becomes clear why many have become disillusioned with the technology. Nevertheless, with appropriate installation and mitigation measures in place, video analytics still has huge advantages over the limited ability of humans. Choosing the Right Cameras and Lighting Levels Torch lights (and perhaps night vision devices) are provided and floodlights are installed to help security personnel see better at night. Hence, it makes sense to ensure that cameras supply a clear video feed to video analytics too. In this case, clear video refers to video images with sufficient image contrast and low noise level. Although camera technology and low light performance have improved in recent years, camera output still exhibit more noise in low light conditions and may cause more false alarms in video analytics. Pitfalls to watch out for: Noisy video images in low light will increase the false alarm rate. Low contrasted images in low light will reduce actual detection performance. Insufficiently-lit night scenes will reduce actual detection performance. Cameras with reduced frame rates and low shutter speeds in low light a low shutter speed results in blurred motion rendition of moving objects or people and can affect the detection accuracy of video analytics. Cameras used in video analytics must be capable of handling day and night lighting conditions. This can be achieved either with a scheduler that dials in different sensitivity settings at different times of the day, or preferably a video analytics product that provides automatic sensitivity adjustments based on ambient light levels. 18 ELECTRONICS REVIEW

19 Proper Camera Position Video analytics that are based on a single camera view cannot readily discern objects at different depths unlike the three dimensional (3D) vision of humans. Consequently it makes sense to position cameras to provide a top-down, oblique view so that both near and far objects are observable. A typical rule-of-thumb guide often practised by CCTV installers is to mount a camera at a height of about three metres. This position provides sufficient coverage of the near to far field zones and includes minimum view of the skyline, which often produces fast-changing light levels that increase the false alarm rate in some video analytics products. Compared to current commercial video analytics products, the visual cognitive ability in humans is also more efficient as they can readily discern between non-interesting movements caused by swaying vegetation, water or shadows against interesting movements such as abnormal security events or human actions. It therefore makes sense to position cameras to exclude noninteresting movements in the camera view wherever possible. Distance to Object The size, in pixels, of the object is an important element to video analytics. Most products require a minimum pixel size for detection (for example, 15 pixels in height), so it is unrealistic to expect that a camera mounted with a 90-degree wide-angle lens can enable video analytics to provide reliable detection of people from 30 metres and beyond. For video analytics to work reliably at longer distances, users should consider switching to a telephoto lens, using a camera with higher image resolution or simply move the camera closer to the detection area. Degree of Activity Due to the motion-detection and target tracking techniques used in intrusion detection, most video analytics products fare poorly in crowded or busy scenes. Generally, the lower the level of activity, the less false alarms and better detection rates can be expected. Technical Mitigation Techniques With all the above mitigation measures in place, the performance of different video analytics products then depends on additional intelligence built into the analytics engine. Scene-Depth Awareness vs Object Size Analysis Many video analytics products provide a minimum and maximum object size setting to track valid targets (such as people) and ignore invalid targets (such as dogs and cats). Unfortunately, this cannot handle the case of a perspective scene, where an object such as a person will appear larger when closer to the camera and smaller when farther away from the camera. More sophisticated video analytics engines analyse the perspective geometry in each camera scene and are able to correctly adjust the minimum and maximum target size at various object positions. This is a plausible and effective method to 3D-enable a two-dimensional scene. The main drawback of this method is that it requires a one-time manual calibration of the scene s perspective geometry. This usually involves getting the help of a person of known height to move to different locations in the scene and marking the person s height at three different positions in the video analytics graphical user interface (GUI) software. Movement Speed Analysis The other advantage of applying the Over the years, video analytics techniques have continued to evolve and mature... current video analytics technology can readily be deployed, and especially for intrusion detection. DECEMBER