IP Video Monitors, Protects Antwerp Traffic System

  • Dec 17, 2007

An integrated IP video CCTV system is providing monitoring for a traffic calming system in the Belgian city of Antwerp. The CCTV system monitors a series of automated bollards that regulate traffic on a number of the city’s streets, alerting the Antwerp Police to malfunctions, accidents and acts of vandalism.

The bollards can be lowered automatically during pre-determined hours or when buses and trams pass using on-board transponders. Local residents and other authorized people can gain access using a smart card reader or by entering a pin code via a keypad. The access control system shares the same network as the IP video for communication back to the local traffic center that is the equipment hub for the project. The CCTV video is then relayed to the Antwerp Police over a fiber IP-network some 6 miles away, where it is monitored and recorded. The traffic system was installed by TV Vialis-Paque, a joint venture between Vialis Traffic BV and Yvan Paque which was created specifically for this project.

The police operators use IndigoVision’s Control Center IP video and alarm management software to view live and recorded video from the cameras monitoring the bollards. IndigoVision’s MPEG-4 based compression technology ensures that video and data can be transmitted over large distances with minimal impact on the available bandwidth, without image degradation and with negligible latency. This means that the operators can view video images that are as good as analog and have smooth PTZ camera control even though their monitoring center is located 6 miles from the cameras. The high-quality video allows the police to easily identify the license plate number of vehicles that have been involved with incidents or that have damaged the bollards.

The IP video system removes the need for complex and costly switching matrices as used in traditional analog systems and replaces them with a virtual matrix. The virtual matrix allows any camera to be viewed and recorded from any point on the network. Antwerp Police have put this flexibility to good use by using the system to transmit video from an additional 14 CCTV cameras that are part of an existing standalone analog CCTV system based at the local traffic center.

Recording of the traffic bollard camera footage is achieved using five standalone IndigoVision NVRs again installed at the police control center. These record all cameras continuously at 4SIF for up to 7 days.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.