Automated remote security
Vital European assets such as power stations are often located in remote areas, and the number of those facilities will increase in response to legislation. Securing the installations will be difficult, and require a new type of surveillance system: affordable, portable and semi-automated. Developing such systems was the goal of the EU-funded 'Mobile, autonomous and affordable system to increase safety in large unpredictable environments' (BASYLIS) project. The 10-member consortium set out to develop a suitable sensing platform for automatic detection of security threats in complex environments. Nine components were planned, including a variety of sensors and a board for integration, bracelets and panic buttons, and video and behaviour analysis systems. All would also be tested and demonstrated. The group ran from May 2011 to May 2013, and met its objectives. The project developed separate types of sensors for perimeter security. The long-distance detectors involved radar and lasers, both of which identify moving objects. The project's innovation for the laser system was a vertical angle control that overcomes line-of-sight limitations. Short-range devices included an acoustic vector sensor that tracks multiple sound sources simultaneously. In addition, a metal weapons detection system can be placed underground and will pinpoint any metallic weapons in range. A seismic unattended ground sensor system uses buried seismic sensors for perimeter protection by detecting vibrations. The BASYLIS system included a portable bracelet device that a wearer can use to signal an alarm. The bracelet is a Global Positioning System receiver, enabling the bearer to be located and tracked if necessary. A commercial off-the-shelf system was configured to integrate all the sensors, and included a wireless communication interface and network. The project developed several different software sub-systems for control and analysis, including alarm verification and behaviour analysis. Field testing of the complete system, conducted during the project's final months, showed satisfactory results. The system was also demonstrated at a Counter-Terror expo. The BASYLIS project yielded a system offering semi-autonomous remote security surveillance of remote sites, employing various long- and short-range sensors. That means reduced danger and risk; in addition, the project outcomes offer commercial potential for European business.
Keywords
Remote security, remote installation, sensors, surveillance system, security threat, perimeter security, laser system
