State-of-the-art VMS to integrate seamlessly with a wide array of innovative technologies: Sandesh Kaup

To test if social distancing norms are being flouted, crowd counting sensors by way of the VMS and cell app, can simply alert the authorities.

Passenger security has at all times been one of many essential priorities for Indian Railways. In an interview with Monetary Categorical On-line, Sandesh Kaup, Nation Supervisor, Milestone Methods India, discusses how Indian Railways are adopting the video administration programs (VMS) and the way that may play a pivotal position in managing crowds and make sure the security of passengers and railway staff higher throughout the COVID-19. Excerpts:

1. The Indian Authorities has been specializing in upgrading the safety of the Indian Railways. How do you see this progress from the safety trade perspective?

In the present day, we face one of many greatest humanitarian crises this era in India ever noticed. The nation was virtually making ready to unlock itself when got here a extra formidable second part of COVID-19, and now our nation is once more battling for all times and loss of life.

At this level, it’s notable that the Indian Railways, with all its capability and mega-network, is taking steps in serving to struggle the pandemic scenario by making oxygen coaches and isolation wards obtainable for individuals. With a broad infrastructure scattered throughout the nation, scaling up its safety and monitoring requires fixed innovation whereas guaranteeing safety for the security of railway staff and passengers who should still be travelling throughout this time.

Since 2020, the Indian authorities has taken steps to boost safety at railway stations by putting in IP (web protocol) primarily based video administration programs (VMS) at stations throughout the nation. Most of this deployment and initiatives are centred on the nation’s Sensible Metropolis initiatives launched in 2015.

Procurement and set up of IP digital camera know-how and creating Built-in Command and Management Centres to analyse real-time information, has additionally been prioritised on the Indian Railways.

In 2020, a finances of round $34.2m was allotted to Indian Railways from the Nirbhaya fund for set up of a video safety system. In the present day, we’re largely depending on the digital infrastructure, and count on to see a rise in safety administration.

Video footages from IP cameras as an illustration can present thorough understanding of crowd management, individuals counting, warmth mapping, crowd conduct and abnormalities in normal patterns, and many others. These parameters work collectively effectively with an built-in open VMS to assist safety groups make faster and better-informed selections. Whereas safety considerations are as prevalent as ever, we see how fashionable built-in safety programs are making it simpler for operators to successfully police transportation hubs, utilizing an array of recent know-how to counter crime and potential terrorist acts earlier than these even materialize.

2. How does prioritising the state-of-art Video Administration System over conventional surveillance make a distinction?

A state-of-the-art VMS will be capable to combine seamlessly with a big selection of progressive applied sciences corresponding to AI, information analytics, sound detection, behavioural analytics and many others. making it simpler for safety personnel to successfully monitor and handle advanced transportation infrastructures to counter crime and potential acts of terrorism.

In the present day, the set up of safety cameras at essential places is just not the one facet of a sensible, data-driven safety system. It’s extra of a mixture of the digital camera and audio feeds, sensor information, with clever video analytics, that allows organisations to reply shortly and effectively to emergencies requiring instant intervention.

These measures will show useful in managing passenger security since there have been strict guidelines relating to mask-wearing and social distancing issued by the Indian Railways for travellers throughout the second part of the pandemic. Moreover, thermal screening is being accomplished at stations and contained in the trains, in locations like Maharashtra, and people travelling in outstation trains can not journey in native trains.

AI-based algorithms scan video footages and flag down abnormalities. For instance, when cameras seize an unidentified personnel trespassing recognized in a restricted space of an workplace advanced, the system will instantly increase an alarm. With thermal cameras, authorities in any institution can get real-time warmth mapping reviews and establish anybody with a fever – a really sensible software in these dire instances proper now, and particularly in locations with excessive footfall, like railway stations, airports, and procuring malls.

To test if social distancing norms are being flouted, crowd counting sensors by way of the VMS and mobile app, can simply alert the authorities. With these instruments in a VMS platform, transportation companies and every other public locations, have gotten much more accessible and crime resistant.

With the arrival of recent video know-how, the mundaneness of monitoring can now be taken care of by machines and software program, and human assets can be found for extra productive employment.

3. How is know-how impacting public security and safety measures?

The nation is amid a public well being disaster. At this stage, VMS applied sciences are able to enjoying a wider position that’s past safety. As an illustration, hospital amenities are dealing with unprecedented excessive footfall, and it’s tough to maintain observe of the variety of individuals on the premises at any given cut-off date.

Video analytics with its superior headcount options assist hospitals preserve observe of the quantity and places of people to assist emergency evacuation or individuals administration.

Particular options like behavioral analytics also can assist to find out at-risk actions corresponding to violence and aggression that will happen in these areas. By way of controlling site visitors in extremely crowded areas, information generated from embedded sensors, video cameras and crowdsourced site visitors info will help authorities perceive pedestrian patterns higher and route emergency response to congested areas.

With cell functions, this additionally has real-time concerns and worth corresponding to warmth mapping, individuals counting, and crowdsourcing, which may all assist to enhance how transit schedules are decided.

Milestone’s XProtect Sensible Shopper permits customers to see each fastened and cell cameras on one display screen. The consumer can carry out dwell video analytics with out counting on fastened cameras. It’s going to quickly be doable so as to add drones, physique cameras, motion cameras and even in-train cameras.

An open VMS like Milestone Methods’ is a brand-agnostic platform, it may possibly accommodate any know-how and software program that works in tandem, so safety groups can have extremely correct info.

4. What position will video play within the new regular for public transportation in a rustic like India?

In a extremely populated nation like India, you will need to abide by domestically prescribed social distancing guidelines, mixed with strict safety measures and powerful public well being insurance policies to fight this extreme disaster collectively.

Video options can present the most effective situational consciousness to make sure security for the passengers and our frontline workforce, and we should now be higher ready to deliver down the numbers of the pandemic. The suitable video know-how will help in guaranteeing that strict measures are applied.

Analytics instruments can establish the right distancing amongst individuals and make sure that residents abide by obligatory mask-wearing. Warmth-mapping cameras can sense a change in temperature indicating COVID affected zones or hotspots in crowded transit areas and spotlight places of huge gatherings.

Proper now, our focus should be on saving as many lives as we will and this we will do with the help of know-how. The nation is in dire want of assist and help at current. We’d like each empathy and braveness whereas we face these powerful instances, and video know-how has confirmed a significant position in conserving premises and other people protected.

Responses by Sandesh Kaup, Nation Supervisor, India & SAARC