What makes video intelligent? For MARTA, Atlanta’s rapid transit authority, it’s having an intelligence-based analytics solution that teaches itself to recognize and alert on unexpected patterns within massive volumes of data, continues its rapid growth in the mass transit industry as more agencies choose to implement the award-winning behavioral recognition software as part of their public safety initiatives.

Public safety is a critical issue facing mass transit agencies, many of which serve hundreds of millions of customers every year.  MARTA, for example, operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles (77 km) of rail track with 38 train stations. MARTA also operates a separate paratransit service for disabled customers. As of 2013, the average total daily ridership for the system (bus and rail) was 415,600 passengers.

For Port Canaveral, a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, intelligent surveillance is crucial to watch over the 2.8 million cruise passengers to mitigate security threats, theft and liability losses from slip and fall injuries.

MARTA is using AISight, an intelligent video analytics solution from BRS Labs that teaches itself to recognize and alert on unexpected behavior across any camera’s field of view. 

For Port Canaveral, a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, intelligent surveillance is crucial to watch over the 2.8 million cruise passengers to mitigate security threats, theft and liability losses from slip and fall injuries.

“We have nearly 500 IP cameras throughout the port, with two upcoming projects that will add 200 cameras to our system,” says Mark Lorusso, Senior Director, Information Technology, about Port Canaveral’s video system. How do you manage 500+ IP security cameras? “We’re in the process of implementing analytics to help us with specific areas, such as fence lines,” Lorusso says. “There are so many cameras to watch that you cannot rely solely upon people to monitor them, so that’s where NICE has come in to assist us.”

Lorusso is using NiceVision for video management and recording solution Port-wide for both facility and exterior site cameras. The NiceVision software solution, which can be provided as turnkey solution, is comprised of smart video recorders, a ControlCenter solution and video analytics. The solution also provides for a smooth migration path from analog to IP/digital technologies, with a hybrid video management offering that improves analog cameras’ performance.

Intelligent Surveillance

The type of surveillance security employed at the Black Oak Casino Resort is a top priority. The casino recently upgraded its existing surveillance system to keep up with the changing needs of its facilities and allow for more intelligent surveillance.

The primary goals for Black Oak Casino Resort were to switch to high-definition cameras, enhance the virtual matrix capability, provide a migration strategy and the equipment to upgrade to a full internet protocol (IP)-based system and transition in a way that would be easy for the security staff to adopt. The initial project was to be done in phases over a period of 15 months.

“We started with replacing the existing standard definition analog cameras with more than 400 new high definition (HD) fixed cameras, along with HD, 1080P PTZ dome cameras,” says Edewaa Ti Foster, the Commissioner and Vice Chair of the Tuolumne Me-Wuk Tribal Gaming Agency.

In addition to the new cameras, the casino removed the existing legacy analog video matrix that provided live video and control of the existing analog pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras and replaced it with a Pelco video management system. The change was made to allow full virtual matrix capabilities (one of the property’s primary goals) as well as analog PTZ control in a complete network environment. This upgrade provided a seamless migration to the new system while allowing the security staff to maintain full control on the existing legacy analog cameras; more importantly, it created the platform that would allow the addition of new high definition IP cameras.

The surveillance room was upgraded with a new video wall with monitors that are driven by Pelco video decoders. Seven operators have a video console display and keyboard to view live and recorded video at each operator desk. 

Foster adds: “We are proud of all the work our surveillance and security staff members do, and we know that technology plays a big part in it. While security surveillance is usually recognized as the dome cameras you see in businesses, these systems go well beyond the walls of the facility and are critical in helping us provide our guests with a safe and consistent experience while they are at our property.”

Check out the video surveillance manufacturers included in this article:

 • Honeywell • NICE Systems • Pelco