St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), Missouri's largest aviation hub, managed operations for over 15 million passengers in 2025. Aiming to upgrade to a digital 360-degree surveillance system, STL sought a solution that would cover its expansive 70 million square feet of infrastructure efficiently, aiming to cut down significantly on both infrastructure costs and complexity.
To modernize STL’s security measures, Dallmeier's Panomera® multifocal sensor technology became the solution of choice. This advanced approach facilitated high-resolution coverage across vast areas, utilizing approximately 90% fewer cameras and reducing infrastructure needs by 75% compared to the original security blueprint.
Video Security System Upgrade
In response to a rise in passenger traffic, STL's Operations and Security Teams decided in June 2018 to upgrade the video security systems in two critical areas: the ground-level parking zones and their four runways. These improvements aimed to heighten customer safety and deter illegal activities such as vandalism and theft.
Collaborating with Tech Electronics, their security integrator, STL initially planned to use a mix of PTZ and single sensor IP cameras totaling over 130 units. This plan required substantial infrastructure, including 42 new camera poles, along with necessary cabling and network setups. Cost and complexity prompted the team to explore more economical alternatives.
Efficient Surveillance Coverage
STL initially planned to use a mix of PTZ and single sensor IP cameras totaling over 130 units
STL's discovery of Dallmeier's Panomera® technology marked a turning point. David Kulinsky, STL's Deputy Director of Operations & Maintenance, stated, "When we discovered Panomera®... it became clear that Panomera® provided STL a more economical solution with higher quality images at a lower overall cost."
A test installation showcased the effectiveness of the Panomera® setup. Kevin Hubble, Services Manager for STL with Tech Electronics, noted the intuitive nature of the system: “I was surprised at how few Panomera® cameras were needed... The result is an intuitive user experience resulting in greater operational efficiency."
Comprehensive Situational Awareness
Currently, STL has integrated more than 27 Panomera® cameras, supported by multiple IPS 10000 recording devices and five user workstations using the SeMSy® Compact VMS client software. This robust system allows STL to maintain comprehensive situational awareness across major operational areas like runways and taxiways with only ten Panomera® cameras.
The system's seamless high-resolution imaging offers full-scene situational awareness, enabling more efficient monitoring of critical airport activities while reducing both maintenance demands and operational costs.
AI-Based Video Analysis
STL evaluates implementing Panomera® technology for optimizing terminal operations
Beyond security, STL evaluates implementing Panomera® technology for optimizing terminal operations. Planned deployments in the ticketing area include utilizing a Panomera® V8 system for AI-based video analysis, focusing on passenger flow and wait time metrics, aiming to enhance both operational efficiency and passenger experience.
David Kulinsky summarizes that any technology project at an airport must ensure operational efficiency and long-term resilience. The choice to deploy Panomera® cameras has notably enhanced surveillance and reduced infrastructure needs.
Dallmeier electronic, founded by Dieter Dallmeier in 1984, offers a range of security solutions, with their technologies successfully implemented across multiple sectors globally. The company's commitment to innovation and quality, stemming from its Regensburg headquarters, ensures compliance with high standards in security, data protection, and environmental sustainability.
As Missouri’s largest and busiest aviation facility, St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) welcomed more than 15 million passengers in 2025. To implement a digital 360-degree surveillance system and secure over 70 million square feet of airport infrastructure, STL required a solution capable of covering vast spatial areas while significantly reducing infrastructure costs and complexity.
At the same time, the airport aims to implement AI-applications to optimize its operations. With Dallmeier’s Panomera® multifocal sensor technology, STL achieved comprehensive high-resolution coverage with approximately 90 % fewer cameras and 75 % less infrastructure compared to the original surveillance design.
Video security system
Due to the continuous growth in passenger numbers, the STL Operations and Security Teams decided to modernise the existing video security system in June of 2018 in two areas: Firstly, in surface parking areas to increase customer safety and eliminate criminal activity such as vandalism and theft. The second solution targeted the airport’s four runways, the taxiways, and all terminal buildings to monitor the activities of aircraft, ground vehicles, and airport personnel.
STL Airport Operations Team contacted their security integrator, Tech Electronics, to design and deploy an updated camera solution. The initial design used a combination of PTZ and single sensor IP cameras and would have required more than 130 cameras in total. From an infrastructure perspective, this would have required the installation of more than 42 new camera poles and the corresponding infrastructure (cable, network, power, etc.). The airside solution required significantly more technology to achieve the desired surveillance coverage. So, STL and Tech Electronics decided to look for another, more economical solution.
Desired surveillance coverage
During their technology search, STL discovered the Dallmeier Panomera® multifocal sensor technology, which was developed specifically for surveillance of large spatial areas using the fewest number of cameras to achieve the required surveillance coverage.
David Kulinsky, Deputy Director of Operations & Maintenance at STL, recalls: “When we discovered Panomera® and saw that one Panomera® camera can capture large areas at high resolution and replace several single-sensor cameras, including the costly infrastructure, it became clear that Panomera® provided STL a more economical solution with higher quality images at a lower overall cost.”
Intuitive user experience
The test installation at the airport proved the image quality of the Panomera®. Kevin Hubble, Services Manager for STL with Tech Electronics, comments: “I was surprised at how few Panomera® cameras were needed to replace several PTZs and single sensor cameras and display the images in a much more user-friendly format. The SeMSy® Compact VMS software enables the user to view a single high-resolution image of the entire scene with simple digital PTZ controls to ‘zoom’ into any part of the image in greater detail. The result is an intuitive user experience resulting in greater operational efficiency – not to mention the superior high resolution video coverage.”
To date, STL has installed more than 27 Panomera® cameras. Multiple IPS 10000 recording appliances and 5 user workstations with the SeMSy® Compact VMS client software complete the video system. Compared to the original planning, this resulted in approximately 90 % reduction in the number of cameras and approximately 75 % reduction in infrastructure required for the installation.
Comprehensive situational awareness
A particular highlight of the deployment is STL’s digital 360-degree surveillance concept. Using only ten Panomera® cameras, the airport achieves comprehensive situational awareness across large airside areas including runways, taxiways and apron operations.
Unlike conventional camera concepts that require numerous PTZ and single-sensor cameras, Panomera® delivers a complete high-resolution overview in a single seamless image. This enables operators to monitor critical airport activities more efficiently across large spatial areas, while significantly reducing infrastructure complexity, maintenance effort and overall operating costs.
AI-based video analysis
Beyond security applications, STL is also evaluating Panomera® technology for operational process optimization inside the terminals. As part of a planned deployment in the ticketing area, a Panomera® V8 system will support AI-based video analysis functions such as passenger flow and waiting time analysis.
The objective is to improve operational efficiency, optimize check-in processes and enhance the passenger experience — while leveraging the same high-resolution surveillance infrastructure already deployed throughout the airport.
Video information technology
David Kulinsky with STL summarises: “Any technology project at an airport must deliver a solution that is operationally efficient, resilient, and built for long-term performance. Our decision to deploy Panomera® cameras significantly enhanced overall surveillance coverage across the airport while reducing the technology and infrastructure footprint required to support it.”
“The system also provides the ability to zoom into specific areas without sacrificing full-scene situational awareness or recording capabilities—an operational advantage over traditional PTZ cameras, which only record the field of view being actively monitored and can limit broader operational visibility.”
In 1984, Dieter Dallmeier founded what is now Dallmeier electronic – not in the proverbial garage, but in a garden shed in Regensburg, Germany. Today, the company, which can justifiably call itself a hidden champion for video information technology "Made in Germany", has several hundred employees worldwide, more than 250 of them at the company headquarters in the center of Regensburg alone.
Digital image storage system
Dallmeier's camera, recording, software, and analysis solutions optimize security and processes for B2B end customers in a wide range of industries in over 60 countries. The focus is on users from the casino, smart city, airports, logistics, stadiums, and industrial sectors. But also, banks, critical infrastructure facilities as well as medium-sized companies from all sectors.
With pioneering innovations, Dallmeier has succeeded time and again in placing itself at the forefront of technology: From the world's first digital image storage system with motion analysis in 1992, the patented "multifocal sensor technology" Panomera® with its "Mountera®" mounting system, to the latest Domera® camera family, which allows up to 300 camera variants with only 18 components.
Complete manufacturing process
These and many other innovations provide real, tangible customer benefits. And with a low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and a high Return on Investment (ROI) they can easily compete with systems produced and supplied from low-wage countries.
With "Made in Germany", we also guarantee our customers the highest standards in data protection, cybersecurity, and ethical responsibility. With high quality and short supply chains, we also ensure – almost incidentally – sustainability and environmental protection. From our prestigious headquarters in the center of Regensburg, Dallmeier not only carries out its own research and development but also the complete manufacturing process – from component to product to solution.
