Iconic Shanghai
Video system watches over WorldExpo Culture Center
- By Mark S. Wilson
- Dec 01, 2011
Shanghai WorldExpo Culture Center, shaped like a flying saucer—and often referred to as
the “Spaceship”—is one of Shanghai’s iconic buildings. Its total area is 125,945 square
meters with a building height of 40 meters. When the time came to create a surveillance
system that would protect people and property, organizers wanted the video system to be
as modern and flexible as the rest of the center. It was especially important to ensure that there would
be no “dark spots” throughout the entire complex.
Organizers chose Infinova cameras, modems and matrix switches to provide security for the multiple
six-story facilities that make up the complex, including its 18,000-seat theater. Cameras have been
installed at entrances and exits, garages, fire control passages, stairways, control rooms, elevators,
elevator halls and other important areas. The video surveillance system is linked with the WorldExpo
Center’s burglar alarm, access control and parking lot management systems.
Both fixed-color cameras and mini-dome cameras are installed at indoor corridors and halls.
Among the attributes of the fixed cameras are a high-resolution 1/3-inch CCD sensor and excellent
low-light operation. Areas with lighting fluctuations, such as at the entrance and exit, leverage
wide-dynamic-range day/night cameras, which can increase exposures in darker areas and decrease
exposure in brighter areas. Details otherwise lost are simultaneously captured vividly with more clarity
and color vibrancy regardless of lighting conditions.
IP speed-dome cameras also are installed at other important areas, such as at the square, perimeters
and basement, where it is important to create high-resolution images. All cameras are configured
with auto-iris lenses.
Video signals are managed at the video control center, providing forensic records via transmission
and evidence recording. The system automatically and dynamically adjusts camera angles and selects
the most effective views and what to display.
Due to the expansiveness of the center, a variety of transmission distances and types
of transmission mode for video, control and power signals, the signal transmission system
is complex. The distance to many cameras from the control center is
longer than standard coaxial cable can effectively handle. For transmission
beyond 500 yards, fiber optic modems are deployed with signals
from/to the camera being transmitted to and from the control
room via fiber. SYV75-5 coaxial cable is used for distances up to 300
yards, and SYV75-7 coax carries transmissions between 300 to 500
yards. A centralized power supply provides power for the camera
modules.
All monitoring of the center takes place in the video control room.
This control center provides video recalls, priority settings and system
linkage. With a large-scale monitor, guards are able to see clear images
and respond quickly in any emergency. At the core of the control
room is an Infinova V2060 large-scale matrix switcher that supports
4,096x512 channels. With it, WorldExpo Center security management
can predefine tours, time events and set alarm displays.
With so many cameras deployed, it is impossible to display real-
time video images for all cameras simultaneously in the control
center. Instead, when an alarm occurs, an alarm-handling routine is
triggered and the matrix switcher calls the live video from the camera
that triggered the incident and displays it on the monitor. Using this
solution, the video surveillance system can manage alarms from multiple
inputs, including the burglar alarm, access control and parking
lot management systems.
The system automatically adjusts the camera angle and sets the
camera for the best view. Since there are so many cameras involved,
it is impossible to get complete real-time video images from all cameras
at once in the control center. Thus, an alarm line was configured.
When an invasion alarm occurs, the alarm signal drives the relay
control module via the RS485 interface and triggers the 32-channel
alarm host, calling up the image of the alarm site via the matrix
switcher. An image from any channel can be switched and displayed
on any monitor at a predefined time.
At the center, video information must be stored for a long time
for future search and playback. Images from all devices are stored
on a multi-channel DVR that provides image quality identical to that
of a DVD. Leveraging H.264 compression, the system also provides
multi-view display, motion detection, digital recording, playback, image
search and management, back-up, pan/tilt and lens control, speed
dome control, video loss alarm and temperature inspection.
As one of the symbolic, and busy, venues of Shanghai, the WorldExpo
Center has many guests and dignitaries visiting. Therefore, a
system that provides reliable security for today yet offers scalability
for future needs was an absolute necessity. The new surveillance system
helps advocate the theme of the WorldExpo—Better City, Better
Life—by keeping staff and patrons safe.
This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Security Today.