SINCE September 11, 2001, additional security measures have been put in place by the UK’s Department of Transport, relating to airport security.
“At Coventry Airport we have further improved our security measures with the installation of CCTV,” explains the director of customer service, Mike Morton. “We keep an eye on our passengers from the check-in to boarding and also upon arrival – the entire time they are on the airport premises.”
But how to implement such tight surveillance? The original video system (six analogue cameras with six recorders) proved to be unsuitable to handle the task.
“The analogue video technology is too expensive and awkward – and the image quality is not sufficient. This was enough reason for us to look for a better alternative,” explains Mike Morton.
After undertaking research, airport management decided to implement a Mobotix solution.
“The cameras include internal memory and can temporarily store the video sequences in the case of server failure,” says security administrator Dilip Mistry.
“When there is disturbance on the network, it is no problem to access the camera storage. When the server is again available, it is automatically updated.”
The cabling was also simpler to implement with MOBOTIX cameras that need no extra power lines, but can use the power from the data cables.
“Also the data communication is exemplary,” explains Mistry. “It allows us to connect to the cameras from anywhere over VPN to the sub-network with necessary authorization, to see the requested images. In addition, the MOBOTIX cameras are stable and robust as well as easy to install and upgrade.”
The relatively small Coventry Airport has at least 26 MOBOTIX IP-cameras in action that are configured to view all areas possible. Seven of these cameras are megapixel cameras with zoom function, and they deliver images with strong depth of field from areas like the parking area, the check-in and the departure hall.
All the cameras are arranged so that the appropriate sequence of images is transferred from each important location that the passenger walks through: Check-in, security check, passport control, departure hall, boarding gate. The checking in of the luggage is also kept under constant surveillance.
Video management
MOBOTIX Multiview manages the system with all camera images observed in a control room through a simple internet browser 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Multiview function allows simultaneous viewing of all images as well as pan and zoom as required.
The recording function of the MOBOTIX cameras is equally important since images of events must be readily available. By law these video sequences must be stored for 30 days. However, it would be a waste of expensive hard drive space to have all data from all 26 cameras saved 30 days around the clock. For this reason, the MOBOTIX cameras record only when something in the clearly definable image zones moves.
This event control recording is managed to save storage space with the camera at the check-in counter recording an image only every 90 seconds. This is more than sufficient, since a passenger spends two minutes on the average at this counter.
With this arrangement and control in mind, a surveillance system that doesn’t miss anything, was put to work at the Coventry Airport. Each passenger, in the interest of flight security, will be registered at all important locations during the length of their stay at the airport.
“Even the British Ministry of Transport is impressed by this solution”, explains Morton. So impressed that this Mobotix surveillance system serves as a model for other security projects to come.
“London-Heathrow airport is planning a new terminal and a colleague came to visit us recently to see our IP camera solution”, Mike Morton says.
“And the railway company Central Trains and British Telecom are also interested in our surveillance system.”
