Intelligent Integration in Transportation – Part 1 Off-the-shelf Video Walls

Video display walls, when used with local desktop monitors, allow operators to collaborate on shared information to make educated decisions and take appropriate action. Those tasked with monitoring video feeds know well the benefits they deliver in control room applications and how they assist with operations running more smoothly and effectively.

The situational awareness that video walls provide enable a better informed and unified response, which is vitally important for mission-critical operations, including the fast-paced transportation sector.

The video walls in Transportation Management Centers need to be able to display high-resolution graphic information from maps, multiple camera feeds, traffic management applications, etc. to ensure safe and continuous traffic flow. These operators especially need to be able to monitor multiple information sources continuously and scale this information seamlessly across large areas when the requirement becomes critical.

Having high-traffic or sensitive areas on the video wall allows operators to keep tabs on the most critical areas. When incidents or unexpected situations occur, systems operators can change what’s being displayed on the wall.

KapLogic’s Aegis integration software solution is proving extremely beneficial for use at transportation hubs. That’s because it’s an easy-to-use, customizable and powerful physical security information management solution that seamlessly integrates disparate security systems, enabling operators to respond swiftly and informatively to any possible security breach at their transportation hubs.

By providing one simple common user interface for multiple security and information subsystems operations, Aegis software delivers unlimited integration capabilities for airports and other transportation facilities. This means that the operations of video surveillance, intrusion detection, access control, intercom and lighting solutions and components, regardless of the manufacturer, can all be coordinated to provide a seamless, consistent, and easy-to-use point of control for operators.

Aegis encompasses many powerful features. Among them, the Aegis3 Web Dashboard, which is a browser-based tool that provides an at-a-glance snapshot of security events within a facility. Aegis also enables integration with Microsoft Windows’ Active Directory, and SEER provides powerful video management in addition to those features found on the current VMS systems. It’s built into Aegis to allow these features to cross multiple video brands and systems.

Furthermore, the Aegis Chase Scene feature displays the eight cameras closest to an incident and allows the operator to follow a target by simply clicking on the direction of movement.

The Aegis whiteboard feature allows for interaction with Aegis Maps. Maps can be integrated for improved situational awareness of incident locations, which is particularly beneficial at large-scale, wide area deployments.

The Transportation industry has long been vulnerable to a multitude of security threats, both physical and cyber in nature. Being able to keep a watchful eye on and maintain situational awareness at major transportation hubs has never been more critical. And, after a lull in travel in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel is again revving up. According to a report issued in August, 2021 by the Bureau of Transportation statistics, in mid-July, the U.S. summer travel season was in full swing. The miles Americans traveled on the road were up, and the number of domestic passenger airline flights had also risen, with both measures approaching pre-pandemic levels. Amtrak ridership was also closing the difference from its pre-COVID normal.

Operators tasked with overseeing the safety of transportation hubs are finding that using Aegis in conjunction with a video wall streamlines their operations, promotes informed, collaborative decision-making, and enables improved situational awareness and response during emergencies.