Taking Off
IP surveillance technology is critical partner in airport security
- By Anthony Incorvati
- Jan 01, 2015
Today’s airports are filled with flashy new technology. Virtual hologram
staffers give instructions; full body imaging sensors search for contraband;
and passengers can manage ticketing entirely on their phones.
But, some of the most advanced innovations are occurring behind
the scenes. Airports are increasingly adopting new video surveillance
technology to protect their passengers and run the facilities more efficiently.
As airports are forced to upgrade their infrastructure to comply with new regulations
and consumer expectations, many are taking the opportunity to upgrade
their surveillance systems for smarter video security, intrusion detection, perimeter
protection and access control.
While physical security is the most important use of surveillance in any airport,
many are finding benefits that go beyond security, including passenger flow
management, airline/aircraft gate management and increased overall operational
efficiency at check-in lines, retail areas, baggage claim and more.
Making Smarter Technology Upgrades: Analog to IP
In 2013, IHS Research indicated that 50 percent of the surveillance market is converging
on IP video. These conversations are no longer plans for the future—they
are happening right now all over the world. Airport directors and security executives
are tired of dealing with systems that are time-consuming to manage, cannot
scale and do not meet their functionality requirements. The capabilities of
network video have grown dramatically since they were introduced nearly twenty
years ago, and upgrading from analog technology has become the standard in the
aviation market. Some of the best reasons include:
- Improved image quality. With IP video, video users have access to the same high
definition image quality they have at home on their televisions. The HDTV
quality video available with network cameras lets staff not only see that an
event occurred, but also see critical details like facial characteristics or clothing
that could indicate who is responsible and precisely what took place before, during and after an event. The ease with
which staff can access video—even
from their mobile devices—makes
viewing it part of the everyday business
practice, rather than something
done only out of necessity. Some
cameras even provide specific formats
for better coverage of hallways
and corridors which preserves pixels
and increases image usability.
- Simple and scalable. Since analog
cameras can only be installed in
groups, scaling camera locations
can be a headache. IP-based systems
make it easy to simply drop in one
new camera or a thousand.
- Finding video quickly. With analog
systems, it can take ages to go
through DVRs and tapes to find
the footage you need. IP technology
supports video management
software that can cut hours from
that process with smart search. Additionally,
users can patch video together,
search by qualifiers like date
or pixels, apply video analytics and
support smarter business intelligence
activities.
- Enhancing existing and changing
light conditions. Airports are notorious
for difficult lighting conditions.
One hallway can be bright while
the next is full of shadows. Large
windows and backlighting also affect
the quality of the video and
ability to capture clear images. IP
video boasts Wide Dynamic Range
(WDR) capabilities to help compensate
for changes in light, while
Lightfinder technology produces
color images in places with little to
no light at all.
- Storage simplification. No more
DVRs, tape, etc. These images and
video captures are quickly and easily
compressed and stored on servers.
Making Bigger Even Better
The benefits above are driving more users
and uses of video surveillance, well
beyond the traditional security-oriented
users such as airport security, TSA
or CBP. Other functional groups, such
as operations, maintenance and risk
management departments, as well as
major tenants are becoming stakeholders.
With more users and uses of network-
based video, IT organizations are
driving more and more of the deployments
that satisfy traditional security
and safety measures along with more
proactive and innovative uses of the
technology. All of these advantages are
driving the overall size of the system.
The airlines that operate in the airport
often have their own security protocols
and surveillance technology in
use. By switching to more accessible
surveillance technology, airports can
gain useful insight into airline operations.
For instance, the video can help
to understand the reasoning behind
flight delays—such as unscheduled
maintenance and fueling—and how to
improve the situation in the future.
New creative uses for the high quality
footage are being realized each
day. The video is helping to improve
efficiency in areas as diverse as baggage
handling, airport construction
monitoring, customer mapping in retail
areas, loss prevention and customer
counter queue. Analysis of the video
can drive more sales and generate additional
revenue for the airport.
More Intelligent
Security Actions
Unlike analog system, IP video gives
airports access to real-time data and
increased intelligence. As a result, security
directors and staff are able to make
smarter decisions to improve safety and
operations. Cameras can be deployed
as “watchers” and as “detectors” each
with their own specific settings and
triggers, as well as incorporating a layer
of intelligence with third party analytics
and applications. Similar to an app
on your mobile phone, video analytics
each have their own unique benefits to
specific situations, such as forensic processing
or real-time detection.
With the right analytics, airport officials
can arrange for a number of
actions to take place after an event or
trigger—an alarm can go off, personnel
can be alerted, a video clip can be
sent, and doors can shut. Analytics can
also be used to help manage queues
and lines at the airport. The applications
can provide a range of information,
such as predicted wait times, the
number of passengers being processed
per minute, and heat mapping to better
understand overcrowding and distribution
of crowds. This type of information
can ultimately help improve the
customer experience.
After a successful pilot, a major
North American airport is now moving
forward with the deployment of IP
cameras at the entrance of all of the restrooms—
all for operations and maintenance
purposes. Thanks to automatic
people counting analytics that resides
on each camera, when a certain number
of people have entered the restroom, an
alarm is triggered indicating to maintenance
staff that it is time to send the
cleaning crew.
Analytics make the whole airport
smarter, not just the security department.
Real Airports, Real Examples
Bozeman Yellowstone International
Airport (BZN) in Belgrade, Montana
connects travelers with southwestern
Montana, Yellowstone National Park
and Big Sky ski resort. When the airport
went through a redesign they transitioned
their surveillance system from
analog to IP. The switch makes it easier
for the public safety officers to monitor
multiple feeds at once and keep
watch over the entire airport, indoors
and out. Jacksonville, Florida-based
infrastructure design consultant RS&H
recommended Axis network cameras
to complement the exacqVision Enterprise
VMS software and RS2 Technologies
access control being installed by
Illinois-based systems integrator Video
and Sound Service Inc. The airport is
able to use its resources more effectively,
and it has greater control over video
and who can access it. The system has
helped make the airport more secure as
it continues to grow.
Los Angeles International Airport
(LAX) is the sixth-busiest airport in the
world—third in the United States—and
is operated by Los Angeles World Airports
(LAWA). The airport runs more
than 600 flights daily through almost
75 air carriers. Airport officials decided
a security upgrade would provide public
safety, operations and maintenance
with more effective systems and technology.
Unisys advised LAWA to go
with Axis network cameras, recording
to Hewlett-Packard servers and HID
Global readers for access control, all of
which are managed by NICE Systems
VMS. The upgrade was well received
and the airports video system grew
from their existing 800 analog cameras
to today’s 3,000-plus IP-based camera
system. The image quality was nearly
unrecognizable to the airport’s prior
analog footage, which was grainy and
fuzzy. The entire project was a perfect
case study for other airports considering
upgrading their surveillance and
security systems.
Miami International Airport (MIA)
underwent a major renovation this
year, and it installed cameras specifically
designed to detect intruders, as well
as monitor checkpoints, increase intelligence
and work in low light or changing
light conditions. The system is one
of the most advanced in the country,
and the airport uses advanced video
analytics applications on new cameras
inside the terminal and on the airfield.
Denver International Airport
(DEN) in 2013 began an ongoing strategy
to rip and replace all of its analog
cameras with IP technology. The airport
went from a little over 250 cameras
to approximately 1,300 (including
TSA’s equipment). The system includes
a good mix of fixed-view cameras and
pan/tilt/zoom equipment.
Where to Begin
Modern airport security is one of the
most important, dynamic and complex
challenges of our generation and cameras
play a key role in the overall strategy.
Beyond security, they also present
a huge opportunity to create smarter,
more intelligent operations.
The first step for airports looking to
switch to IP is finding a security partner
and integrator that can guide you
through the options for cameras, applications,
analytics and overall strategies.
A knowledgeable integrator can
help airport officials create a plan that
addresses its unique needs and specifications.
With a well-developed plan in
hand, the airport team can launch an
upgrade that makes the most use out
of all of the intelligence and innovation
the new technology provides.
This article originally appeared in the issue of .