Page 16 - Security Today, January/February 2022

port equipment springs into action. Crews will replenish fuel, a cleaning team will perform their duties, the lavatory disposal service makes sure lavatories are ready for the next flight, the belt loader is acti- vated for removal of luggage and cargo, jet bridge activity occurs, caterer services commence, and the list goes on.
IP cameras installed in strategic locations on the Jet Bridge and ramp, above and below the wing, generate a comprehensive over- view of the entire ground-support operation, specifically looking for holdups that if ad- dressed, could shave time off the turnaround process and contribute to the airline’s overall on-time performance. Additionally, opera- tional surveillance provides data on gate ac- tivity, such as crew arrival, and on passenger movements, such as how many customers are carting carry-on luggage — important infor- mation that can identify trends.
IP cameras with AI algorithms are cap- turing and understanding events in what seems to be a very hectic environment. If the camera can see it, AI can sense and classify it. As these are collected, struc- ture merges with this data and it becomes a tool to help manage, and most impor- tantly, create accurate predictions and detect deviations from procedures, which improves operational performance. This is accomplished by taking the structured data and integrating with various airport operational databases and, in turn, per- forming deep regression analysis to better understand and predict the operation.
Areas of improvement include.
• Reducing the costs associated with poor on-time performance and delays, which can have a massive domino effect by causing other flight delays, causing pas- sengers to miss flights. The direct and indirect costs, as well as lost opportuni- ties with poor on-time performance, may
cause unneeded stress.
•Improving service-level agreements with
various support contractors can be real- ized, including accurate and verifiable bill- ing from these support contractors and more importantly, increased use of aircraft and associated ground support equipment.
• Decreasing the extensive early-boarding calls will increase commercial dwell time in the terminal, which could support non-aviation revenues.
• Influencing the sustainability factor by improving operational performance will reduce fuel expenses and CO2 footprint.
Modern Mobility: How Technology is Improving Transportation
By Fredrik Nillson
Safety, expedience and cost effectiveness: essential elements for success within the transportation industry. That being said, the industry is increasingly challenged to meet these goals as it faces trends like increased traffic, ecommerce, air travel and a demand for urban mobility. Enter modern IP cameras with powerful analytics. From airport ter- minals and distribution centers, to railways and roadways, network cameras with en- hanced edge processing power and deep learning capabilities are deployed to improve safety, operations and customer experience.
Today, intelligent network technology is helping to move people and things more safely, quickly and inexpensively than ever before. For example, cities are using IP cam- eras with analytics to effectively manage traffic flow and allocate resources. Airports and public transit stations are using this technology to reduce wait times at ticket coun- ters and checkpoints. Overall, intelligent network technologies are allowing end-users to respond to incidents in real-time due to actionable data at the edge, while also pro- viding ongoing business intelligence via the analysis of stored data.
The city of Atlanta is a prime example. In 2017, the city launched the North Av- enue Smart Corridor—a 2.3 mile stretch of city streets employing a variety of differ- ent “smart” technologies, including video analytics. Carrying more than 29,000 vehicles each day, the corridor was a high-volume traffic area serving as a major east-west artery for the city. Atlanta hoped to leverage smart technology to optimize traffic flow; leading to both improved traffic efficiency and decreased emissions.
Cameras installed at 26 strategic locations along the corridor fed traffic data including vehicle counts, speed and occupancy to cloud platforms capable of analyzing the data. The results show traffic signal optimization, according to traffic volume, type, speed and other factors. This allowed the city to improve traffic operations in real-time, but storing the data for further analysis also allowed the city officials to engage in additional offline analysis and long-term research.
The results speak for themselves. Atlanta was able to markedly improve travel time and reduce time spent waiting at intersections, improving the functionality of its traffic management system and helping residents move more efficiently throughout a notori- ously high-traffic corridor. Best of all, these results were achieved without the need for additional equipment, which would run the risk of burdening the existing city infra- structure. Collected video using camera systems already deployed within the city would highlight the fact that any city with existing IP cameras can leverage today’s analytics.
The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is another great example. SacRT needed to address both safety and cleanliness issues that were contributing to a dra- matic decline in ridership. To improve situational awareness and enhance passenger experience, SacRT added high-definition network cameras and horn speakers at each rail station to broadcast general announcements and targeted messages. Additionally, a two-way incident management system was added; it would provide riders with the ability to report incidents to SacRT’s Security Operations Center. By incorporating these solutions, SacRT was able to quickly identify and stop undesired behaviors, create a more pleasant and secure environment for customers, and ultimately increase ridership on its rail system.
While Atlanta’s Smart Corridor and Sacramento’s transit system are just a couple examples of how intelligent network solutions can effectively address transportation- related issues, they also underscore the fact that implementing solutions does not need to be a major undertaking. What’s more, with an eye on the future, these two initiatives illustrate how technology can offer sustainable and scalable solutions that meet the changing needs of the transportation industry and its customers.
Fredrik Nilsson is the vice president, Americas, at Axis Communications.
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