COE provided a digital video solution for the North-South and East-West metro lines in Singapore.
COE provided a digital video solution for the North-South and East-West metro lines in Singapore.
Singapore has one of the most convenient public transport services in the world. Its land mass spans roughly 700 kilometers. The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) network has been in operation since 1987, making it the second oldest metro system in Southeast Asia. It comprises 138 kilometers of tracks over three major lines, serving more than 1 million passengers daily at 64 operating stations. Of the three lines, the North-South and East-West lines were the first two built for SMRT operation.
Problem
Overall, security for the SMRT system in Singapore was a government concern, due to terrorist attacks on commuter rail systems in Madrid, Seoul and London.
Expanding security measures on the Singapore MRT network is part of an initiative by the Land Transport Authority to improve the existing network while planning and undertaking future developments. There are proposals to increase the size of the MRT network to a cumulative length of 278 kilometers by 2020. The SMRT project promises a digital refurbishment for a safer and more secure journey in Singapore.
Business Objectives
The SMRT traffic network plans to replace all surveillance systems. As a result, the Singaporean government allocated US$8.2 million to O'Connor's, a Southeast Asian system integrator of high technology content applications and solutions, to facilitate the improvement of the current infrastructure of the two lines, which form the majority of the MRT network.
The refurbishment program provided SMRT with a sophisticated surveillance system based on IP video technology. The project consisted of 51 stations and three depots over a period of 12 months, with an operational control center (OCC) for monitoring all station activity. Each station has 20 to 50 cameras, totaling about 1,100 cameras across the network. To manage this many cameras, local operators manage their own station complex, with the OCC having an overview of the entire system for emergency and general monitoring.
Solution
A hybrid analog-digital system was designed, using COE Telecommand, X-class and SEE-net GUI software for a flexible and affordable solution.
Each of the 51 stations, three depots and OCC camera sets are managed by a .jpg)
TCD-II control and video matrix. The matrix has a 10/100 BT connection to a 1-GB local area network (LAN) for control and maintenance management. A LCD keypad allows for the control of the cameras and quad image displays.
The LAN can receive 14 video inputs through X-class MPEG-4 digital video codecs, so the OCC is able to see 14 images concurrently from any location, or a combination of images from several locations.
The video switching engine defines which codec and which matrix output is used to channel the right video image to the operator at the OCC. The choice of image selection is controlled by the SEE-net operators.
The 1-GB LAN is designed around a dual ring structure at the core, with X-class providing a further outer ring path for added protection. Each MPEG-4 codec provides image quality of 4CIF at 25 fps, ensuring that image quality is maintained across the network.