360 Vision Technology Ltd - Experts & Thought Leaders

The UK manufacturer of ruggedised HD, radar and thermal PTZ imaging cameras, 360 Vision Technology, has been instrumental in the migration of the expansive analog CCTV network of the New Forest to an economical and future-proofed IP solution – via the use of hybrid cameras and innovative 5G transmission technology. Covering the area’s towns and villages, as well as key parts of the county’s famous rural forest, 360 Vision hybrid technology has been used to ensure a simple upgrade path from the council’s existing analog network of CCTV technology to a future-proofed IP transmission network. Then, thanks to 360 Vision’s TX transmission technology, additional cameras have been added to the network in outer areas - without the requirement of an expensive fiber cabling infrastructure. Anti-social activity Designed to cover hot-spots of anti-social activity, the extension to the existing system was required to address emerging community issues across disparate areas of the region, including sections of the famous forest and surrounding towns – both during the day and into the nighttime economy “With an existing relationship and a proven reputation for solving such issues in the most economical way, New Forest District Council turned to us to expand the surveillance coverage of the existing town center CCTV network for monitoring back at the New Forest District Council control room,” explains Rick Aisthorpe, Engineering Director at Chroma Vision Limited. “We already had a long-term technical relationship with 360 Vision as they had assisted us with the transition from an analog camera network to an IP network for other customers via the use of their clever Invictus Hybrid camera - and we were confident this technology would do the same for New Forest District Council.” Hybrid transmission technology “Coverage was required to provide safety and security surveillance in these areas popular with both locals and visitors. A network of hybrid cameras would yield the best coverage and return on investment, whilst providing the communities involved with the best protection. Additionally, this investment in 360 Vision hybrid transmission technology would help New Forest District Council transition from an analog CCTV transmission network to an IP network in a piecemeal way - and when budgets became available to them.” The 360 Vision Invictus Hybrid offers HD with analog video & RS485 control, allowing addition to legacy analog systems such as the one here at New Forest District Council. After infrastructure upgrades, customers benefit from stunning HD and IP control with no hardware changes simply by changing the camera output. Camera imaging technology “This meant we were only either replacing cameras that had come to the end of their lifecycle or adding additional ones to cover the required areas – with the new units working alongside existing analog cameras while their lifecycle ran out and therefore maximising the available budget at the time,” adds Rick. “The Invictus Hybrid high-performance, ruggedised PTZ camera with full 1080p HD and low-light camera imaging technology, made it the perfect choice for deployment in this application, with cameras installed to bring the towns of Lymington, Ringwood, Fordingbridge, Totton, Lyndhurst, New Milton and Hythe into the network.” Traditional CCTV infrastructure With continuous rotation pan, unobstructed 360-degree view and 160-degree tilt, the 360 Vision Invictus camera can deliver unhindered views to the control room and for night-time vision is equipped with remotely switchable, on-board LED white light technology, backed by infrared capability for covert surveillance at night. Subsequent to this initial phase, the council required additional cameras to cover more areas across the rural region, but at the same time were faced with the logistical restrictions of installing a traditional CCTV infrastructure. The expansive and disparate nature of the additional surveillance required negated traditional camera transmission and cabling measures - such as fiber cabling under streets or a network of traditional CCTV cameras on poles. These were considered but found to be too disruptive and prohibitively expensive - so an alternative solution needed to be found. Mobile phone networks “Additionally, and further complicating matters regarding the installation of cameras, many areas of the coverage required are often located in groups around the expansive rural area of the New Forest, with the towns often miles away from each other;” says Rick; “These issues, we could address using 360 Vision TX technology.” “Using the redeployable and rapidly deployed technology of the 360 Vision TX range of cameras has allowed us to assess and confirm the security problem at each of these locations – without committing to a permanent camera. Our close technical relationship with 360 Vision really paid off here, with the team and Business Development Director Adrian Kirk suggesting Invictus TX units equipped with 360 Vision TX technology. This solution would enable simple and rapid deployment and redeployment at these additional areas with video transmission over mobile phone networks.” Wireless video transmission solution 360 Vision TX wireless video camera transmission technology delivers camera video & PTZ control from just 6 Kbps, full 1080p HD edge recording / remote retrieval on demand and saves the council time and money on fixed infrastructure camera video transmission installation costs and the on-going cost of ownership. Delivering high-quality camera video over low bandwidth, 360 Vision Technology’s 3G/4G/5G/LTE/satellite TX wireless CCTV camera range provides a reliable wireless video transmission solution, even within difficult wireless video transmission environments such as the remote location of the New Forest camera network. Additionally, these cameras use highly efficient optimized video compression, with unique minimal latency that is fully encrypted and secure. High bandwidth video streams “The Invictus TX complies with all our network security requirements, so we can always be confident of the results when including these additional Invictus units in our camera network,” says Brian Byrne, Service Manager Community Safety & Support, New Forest District Council. Keeping running costs to a minimum, the TX range of wireless CCTV cameras operate without the need for expensive airtime contracts. With complete control of bandwidth used, Chroma Vision engineers can choose the resolution and frame rate to transmit, dependent on the bandwidth available in the area of installation. Additionally, operators in the New Forest control room can switch dynamically between low and high bandwidth video streams, dependent on network capability, adjusting CCTV camera video quality to suit. Original requirement issue “In use, system operators in the control room can also instantly switch on the Invictus camera’s on-board LED white light to illuminate the scene and inform people that they are being monitored,” says Brian; “This has proved an excellent feature, both for security and safety purposes.” “If the camera is not required or after a period of use has helped to tackle the original requirement issue, we can then either choose to leave it doing its job or simply and quickly relocate it to another site awaiting surveillance. Some issues, particularly anti-social ones, can move around, but thanks to the use of 360 Vision TX technology, so can our surveillance. Being able to set-up cameras where they are most needed ensures we use our resources in the most economical way and extract the maximum return on camera investments.” Existing business premises In use, the latest installation of wireless TX units has tackled anti-social behavior in forested rural areas and secured minor crime hot spots in the region’s towns – both day and night. Linked directly to the control room, the Invictus cameras are seamlessly integrated into Synectics Synergy 3 video management system and can be locally powered via the existing infrastructure they are mounted to, in many cases on existing business premises – the advantage to the business being a camera covering the vicinity of their business. Technically demanding environments Adrian Kirk, Business Development Director at 360 Vision Technology says: “The mix of hybrid, TX transmission and integrated LED white light technology makes the Invictus camera the perfect choice for the technically demanding environments around the New Forest area.” “Seamless integration into the control room not only ensures operation familiarity from the outset but the ability to switch on white light technology in an instant can simply and effectively neutralise anti-social behavior. Invictus white light technology offers the first line of defense in stopping anti-social behavior. Going from a ‘covert’ infrared setting to an ‘overt’ white light setting can neutralise behavior as the subjects know they are being watched and recorded. This puts power back into operators’ hands, helping them to de-escalate a situation, and has proved to be key in tackling the incidents in the area – often now resolved without any further action being necessary.” Providing high-definition images “As we drive towards a greener daily functionality of the council’s network and assets, thanks to the low-power consumption certification of the Invictus cameras, we can meet the new criteria we are faced with,” concludes Brian. “The cameras are providing high-definition images of places that we thought were inaccessible with traditional camera deployment. Once they have done their job, and the behavior has stopped or moved on, they can be removed and redeployed at the next emerging hotspot if required.”

The latest in road safety technology is harnessing the power and performance of 360 Vision Technology’s Predator cameras, in a groundbreaking installation designed to protect road users and wildlife on the busy rural roads of the Netherlands. The UK manufacturer of ruggedised HD, radar and thermal PTZ imaging cameras, provides the camera technology of this unique and industry-pioneer solution, AISecure360. Stand-alone solution AISecure360 is a stand-alone solution designed to protect road users from encountering the unique wildlife of the Netherlands. Wildlife of varying types and size stray onto the country’s rural road network – causing accidents, often with serious injuries to motorists alongside damage to road infrastructure and vehicles. “Here in the Netherlands, we have an expansive road network that crosses vast distances of rural land,” explains Gert Hamberg, of ProWild; “Wildlife collisions are a constant issue that have increased 6% each year. The material cost of accidents for motorists can be high, but more severe is the cost in lost biodiversity and injury or worse to drivers and passengers of vehicles.” Accurate real-time information “Our AISecure360 wildlife detection system is designed to protect both wildlife and human life - by identifying animals about to cross into the roadway and automatically activating road information signs to warn approaching traffic there could be wildlife near or on the road.” “As a result, road users are warned of animals that may be crossing and can reduce their speed and pass through this location vigilantly. This allows animals to cross safely and prevents collisions as much as possible – all without significant impact on the overall traffic flow.” To do this and provide accurate real-time information to drivers with no false alarms takes the best technology the surveillance industry has to offer – all combined to create a packaged system that can be deployed on any roadway it is required. Perfect detection performance “Firstly, any animal approaching the carriageway is detected a specified distance from the road by extremely accurate radar technology - here we turned to Magos Systems who offer radar technology both compact and the best in class for resolution and coverage,” continues Gert Hamberg; “Magos Systems offer supreme detection under all weather and lighting conditions - even in highly challenging or cluttered environments.” “Relying on cutting-edge radar technologies, our radars achieve perfect detection performance for all types of threats,” says Andy Payne of Magos Systems; “Here our technology is proving invaluable for the detection of moving targets such as animals that can vary greatly in size and shape – from a small wild cat to a large elk.” Natural choice for reliable technology “Our radars combine great range resolution and wide coverage to deliver perfect detection for all wildlife, even in poor weather conditions when the system can be required most.” Once an animal is detected by the radar, a 360 Vision Technology Predator camera takes over - automatically zooming in and tracking the identified target. “Here, we required the best the video surveillance industry had to offer,” explains Gert; “The 360 Vision Predator is the flagship product of the 360 Vision range and was a natural choice for reliable technology at the front of the market.”   PTZ surveillance cameras A feature packed and customisable range of PTZ surveillance cameras, the all-metal construction of the Predator is bespoke built to match the needs of the most diverse operational specifications - so was perfect to be the eyes of the AISecure360 system. Predator provides crystal clear images whatever the ambient light or weather conditions at the roadside. “HD clarity with powerful 40x optical zoom and great low light performance mean that any animal can be tracked, providing tuned images that afford the next part of the system, the analytics, to work at their most effective and with the best clarity of image from which to make informed decisions,” explains Adrian Kirk, Business Development Director at 360 Vision Technology; “Designed, built and supported in the UK, Predator is our high performance ruggedised PTZ camera.” Decision-making analytics “Predator’s 200mm lens and super-fast zoom ensures the detected target is tracked fast – no matter its size or speed, whilst the 360 Vision on-board camera AI automatically and continually adjusts the light balance of the image and ensures focal length is maximized for the whole image, not just one part of the picture - to provide the decision-making analytics of the system with the best tuned image of the target on which to base its decisions.” From here, latest generation AI software from VAIBS, Vaidio Video AI Analytics analyses the image - making an informed decision on what the target is, and what kind of threat it poses to road users. Automates video surveillance With over 35 powerful AI Analytics, Vaidio provides real-time insights, increases security and automates video surveillance. “In this case, the Vaidio AI-driven Video Analytics platform goes beyond traditional camera surveillance, turning data into immediate, actionable insights,” explains Jos Stijkel, Business Development Manager of VAIBS; “We give the cameras the intelligence, speed and control to always stay one step ahead of threats to the road.” “Where many still see AI as future potential, we aim to inspire people by applying the power of this technology in an approachable way to current practice. Here, we can not only identify where the animal is, but also if it is proceeding towards the road or not, and what type of animal it is. An elk poses a much greater threat to road users than a wild cat for example, so we ensure the system can identify the animal quickly and ensure the system reacts accordingly to the threat posed – every time.” High-resolution images When a threat is detected, control room operators are alerted and are instantly provided with high-resolution images, ensuring operator’s time and focus is only employed on actual threats to a safety situation on that section of road. At the same time, the system’s powerful analytics can make informed decisions on the threat and react accordingly, including alerting drivers on the road with powerful and descriptive matrix signs that can describe the threat, and applying temporary speed limit signs while the threat is active – all without any operator input. If an accident is detected, Vaidio analytics can assist here too, automatically alerting the correct emergency service response to the scene - based on information it has received from the 360 Vision Predator camera. Accurate biodiversity data “By identifying each species so effectively and accurately, we can also provide accurate biodiversity data, detailing species and movement in specific areas;” adds Gert. “Harnessing the technological power of the best in the business has resulted in a deployable system that can increase the safety of the public whilst only requiring operator input once the situation has been assessed and responded to accordingly,” says Adrian Kirk; “With modern control room environments becoming increasingly saturated with increased camera feeds this can be invaluable – using operators’ time as economically and as focused as possible is key to getting the best out of any surveillance budget.” Eliminating false alarms “It also ensures the correct response to each threat level, eliminating false alarms and ensuring a measured and appropriate response to each – every time. This minimizes disruption to the road network whilst maximising the safety of its users.” The use of these technologies combined into the AISecure360 solution also reduces infrastructure at the roadside. A traditional camera system to cover such an area would require a camera and pole every 100 metres. Here, however, coverage can be expanded to hundreds of metres from one camera position – decreasing infrastructure and increasing safety by negating the need for the support architecture at the roadside that could potentially be struck by vehicles. This also means less cable infrastructure, reduced civil engineering works, reduced maintenance costs and less disruption to road use during installation. Natural selection process “In use, the latest generation of this system is adding to the more than 1,600 accidents prevented since 2011, saving approximately € 8,000,000 in damage (a reduction of more than 90%) and increasing safety to road users immeasurably;” Gert concludes. “Additionally, we have seen more diversity in the natural animal species population in areas where the systems have been used. With less road casualties, the animal population of each area is afforded a more natural selection process and allowed to flourish in a more diverse manner - leading to a more balanced and stable animal ecosystem in the area. Plus, the time required to analyze the wildlife data over other methods is dramatically reduced, as automated classification for each animal has already been highlighted and recorded by the system.” AISecure360 is available across Europe from 360 Vision Technology and ProWild and presents an autonomous technology solution package at the roadside that is already delivering a scalable, continuously improving, AI‑optimized solution to road safety.

Cattewater Harbor in Plymouth is harnessing the power and performance of 360 Vision Technology’s Invictus cameras, to protect and secure operations across the challenging and changing conditions at the harbor’s extensive shoreline. The UK manufacturer of ruggedized HD, radar and thermal PTZ imaging cameras, was selected to provide their industry-pioneering camera technology after a comprehensive on-site evaluation. Civilian pleasure traffic Plymouth is the largest city on the southwest Peninsula and the port is also home to the largest naval base Located on the south coast of Devon, Plymouth is the largest city on the southwest Peninsula and the port is also home to the largest naval base in Western Europe.  As well as civilian pleasure traffic from paddleboards to yachts, the Port of Plymouth handles a variety of cargo vessels through its commercial terminals at Cattedown Wharves, Victoria Wharf and Corporation Wharf. Freight includes liquid and dry bulk, as well as specialist project consignments for construction and heavy industry. Safe operation The Cattewater Harbor Commissioners are responsible for the smooth and safe running of the port. They are required to maintain and order safe navigation for all manner of craft, maintain and survey dredging channels, maintain navigation marks and lights, provide pilotage services, and traffic regulation within the Cattewater Harbor and the remainder of the civil port. At the port, nationally agreed standards for the safety of marine operations are required to be applied with a commitment to both local and international security measures, with the port’s own pilots boarding and guiding vessels with a 24/7 essential safety service - ensuring that all vessels over 50m complete their passage safely. Ensure the safety of navigation The harbor covers a wide coastline, with limits to the east of a line joining Mountbatten Breakwater The harbor covers an expansive coastline, with limits to the east of a line joining Mountbatten Breakwater to Fishers Nose, bounded by Sutton Lock Gates to the North, and Laira Bridge to the East. The Harbor Master’s role is to ensure the safety of navigation for all harbor users - whether military warships, cross-channel ferries, UAVs, underwater research vessels, small fishing boats, fuel tankers, large cargo ships, jet skis, or paddle boarders - and to take preventative measures to avoid incidents. “We are responsible for the safety of vessels, people and operations,” says Capt. Richard Allan, CEO & Harbor Master, PFSO (Port Facility Security Officer), Cattewater Harbor Commissioners. “We need to know what’s happening in the port at all times”. Effective surveillance coverage To achieve this, a camera system covering the port was deemed invaluable, with requirements for total coverage of the water and shoreline, combined with economy, performance and longevity of the camera equipment in the harsh seaport environment. The camera system covering the port was deemed invaluable, with a need for total coverage of the water To bring the project to fruition, Outersight (UK), a 'hands-on' consultancy dedicated to delivering innovative technical solutions were brought on board. Working with the Cattewater Harbor Commissioners and 360 Vision on previous projects for over ten years, and with experience working with universities, government departments, broadcasters, nature conservation bodies, natural heritage visitor centers, as well as port authorities-Cattewater Harbor Commissioners knew that Outersight (UK) were the people with the experience required for the project. Surveillance camera experience and technological expertise “We have worked with 360 Vision on many projects and have relied on the manufacturer’s surveillance camera experience and technological expertise before,” says Peter Barlow, Managing Director of Outersight (UK). “It was no different with this project. Right from the start, the team at 360 Vision helped us to demonstrate the advantages of using a network of their Invictus cameras at the port - primarily with an on-site demonstration to the port management team - so they could get real ‘eyes-on’ experience of the Invictus camera within the environment in which it would be used.” 360 Vision Invictus cameras Outersight team installed a network of 360 Vision Invictus cameras around the port to cover the water The Outersight (UK) team installed a network of 360 Vision Invictus cameras around the port to cover the water and shoreline, including cameras high on the marker light poles that signal the entrance to the port. “The camera locations were selected based on the most economical way to cover the area required,” continues Peter. “The flexibility of mounting options and visual performance of the Invictus cameras really paid dividends, allowing us to provide the port with the coverage they required, allied to the most economical cost." Brilliant zoom function of the Invictus cameras Peter added: “The fact that we have access to the navigation light towers which by default have a great view of the water, allied with the brilliant zoom function of the Invictus cameras means we do not need many cameras to cover a really large area." "By specifying really great cameras and optimizing each camera position, we have managed to cover an extensive area with only a small amount of equipment - giving us great return on investment and the lowest possible running costs.” Access to the cameras to oversee operations The 360 Vision cameras cover the entire harbor area, including Cattewater Berths, Barbican Landing Stage, marina areas, slipways, and the vast shoreline. They are located on navigation lights dotted around the estuary and on top of the harbor master’s building, with all having good open aspects to the water for maximum surveillance coverage. 360 Vision Invictus cameras feature 32x zoom and a 5-year guaranteed marine-grade paint Additionally, The Cattewater Harbor Master provides the Kings Harbor Master with access to the cameras to oversee operations in the MoD dockyard and Plymouth Sound. 360 Vision Invictus cameras feature 32x zoom and a 5-year guaranteed marine-grade paint – an essential attribute for use within the harbor’s corrosive saline environment. Additionally, several Invictus cameras with PoE option were used – greatly simplifying installation at the more remote reaches of the system. Image quality of the Invictus camera “The 32x zoom capability and stable image quality of the Invictus camera provides wide area coverage and excellent zoomed-in image results,” explains Peter. “This is especially advantageous to identify small vessels at distance – an essential requirement at the port.” “The Invictus camera has everything we need and at a very competitive price,” adds Richard. “It’s especially reliable in the harsh coastal environment, where we deal with a combination of sea salt, saline air and hot summer sun.” Network of Invictus cameras Surveillance system is recorded 24/7 and video footage can be accessed by the Harbor Master in the control room With essential marine environment features, such as viewing window wiper and low light capability, the network of Invictus cameras is capable of alerting the harbor management team to any operational, security or safety situation, allowing them to take action and suppress the situation before it escalates. The surveillance system is recorded 24/7 and video footage can be accessed by the Harbor Master in the control room and by mobile login by authorized duty personnel on site, via seamless integration with the Blue Iris VMS. Optical clarity and zoom capability Optical clarity and zoom capability of the camera network ensures instant visual confirmation, no matter what size of vessel or incident, with members of the harbor management team afforded remote access to the camera network via their phones for instant confirmation of incidents while on the ground or out on the water. The low power operation of the Invictus cameras also means lower running costs for the port, as certified by the camera’s Elexon charge code compliance for Unmetered Supply (UMS) outdoor powered devices, where electricity consumption is billed at just 30W per camera deployed 360 Vision’s Invictus cameras Organizations operating CCTV systems can achieve power consumption savings of an incredible 70% Organizations operating CCTV systems can achieve power consumption savings of an incredible 70%. This is a significantly lower power draw versus peer PTZ cameras with generic Charge Codes which are typically billed at 100W, and helps to lower daily running costs at the port. Using 360 Vision’s Invictus cameras as its backbone, Cattewater Harbor Commissioners now have an electronic surveillance system that is reliable, future-proof, rugged, economical and delivers the high performance required to meet the demanding daily operations of the busy seaport. Inception of the new CCTV system “Making things safe and secure for everyone using the port is greatly aided by the surveillance camera system,” says Richard. “The port keeps watch on a wide variety of vessels, including those carrying oil, gas, cattle feed and aggregate, to military warships, cross-channel ferries and underwater research vessels." "We also see paddle boarders and jet ski enthusiasts out on the waters too. Evidential footage from the system provides us with the power to convict irresponsible users, such as jet ski riders speeding, or illegal bass fishing brought in on small boats at night." “Since the inception of the new CCTV system, we have been able to solve a vast variety of incidents from the control room - keeping the public safe, ensuring shipping adheres to the rules of the port and preventing crime.”