positioning
RFID was used to track workers – even within buses – to monitor and control access to the site. In the event of an emergency, the system tracks workers as they are evacuated and can automatically alert emergency response teams to anyone left behind. Te application of RFID in the right circumstances is also
highlighted by Motorola’s Steve Northcott: “Very often it’s simply enough to know that someone is in a particular area without needing to precisely specify their location. Te use of Bluetooth can present some issues in some situations where a worker is identified as being close to a location point – while they’re in fact on the other side of the wall from it – and so good GIS planning and information is very important. “In some situations, such as airports, there is also the
possibility of using facial recognition systems to spot key workers in particular areas. In addition, WLAN systems have also been used by us to provide lone worker and attack alarms in a secure mental hospital.”
New options Looking further ahead, a number of trial projects using other technologies such as UWB and INS have either been carried out or are underway at present – with a particular focus on reducing the dangers for emergency service personnel such as firemen when entering hazardous situations.
Some important ground-breaking work was done on this
a couple of years ago at Bristol University in the UK, under the ViewNet project. Tis brought together a number of user organizations and companies, including Tales, Sepura and Toshiba. By merging positioning information from a variety of sources – UWB beacons, GPS and personal INS and attitude sensors – the aim was to create an augmented reality- type visual tool that could help emergency commanders quickly map and track the scene and workers. More recently, taking a similar merged technology
approach, Cassidian has announced a number of trials that it has been carrying out in France with partners 3D Plus, CEA- Leti and the emergency response service for the Rhone region. Cassidian’s Herve Mokrani, head of the company’s research
and technology division, sets the dramatic stage: “We’ve been carrying out experiments to deal with a very specific situation that confronts fire fighters around the world – how to deal with fires in underground car parks and especially smallish private ones under apartment blocks where architectural data isn’t readily available. “At present, firefighters are usually confronted by a
nightmare of thick smoke, no visibility, high temperatures, the danger of falling concrete – and often water from cracked pipes as well. Tey also have to deal with the problem as quickly as possible to ensure that long-term structural damage isn’t caused to the building above. “Te traditional search methods are both laborious and
dangerous, with often a chain of firemen blindly having to follow walls – and each other – as they attempt to find the source of the fire, paying out a rope behind them. We believe that this new approach, called Demoloc, can.”
Complementary technologies Te solution being worked on by Cassidian and its partners involves a UWB location system with motion sensors. Tis is an autonomous self-learning system based on three UWB emitters deployed in the field and one carried by the leading fireman. Teir position can be worked out and the information fed back to the command centre, where it can be integrated with other data to provide a visual display. In addition, MEMS sensor tags on the rescue workers’ clothing send back information about their attitude and body position– standing, sitting, kneeling or lying down – allowing rapid intervention in the event that they become immobile for any reason. Further activity in this area of complementary technologies
is also being carried out by Cassidian and others as part of the European Sinetra Euripedes programme, which is aimed at building integrated smart systems across various industry sectors. Tis project involves the use of TETRA Enhanced Data Services (TEDS) to track the position of indoor radio users using a MEMS-based accelerometer and gyroscope and to send back to the control room important personal sensor information, such as temperature and the heart rate of the worker. Te range of options available now to position and locate
A location-sensitive safety system to protect lone workers forms part of a recent installation by Zonith for Dong Energy, Denmark’s largest power generator
26
TETRA users indoors and outdoors continues to grow – and, in many cases, very little bandwidth is required to bring useful and appropriate information back to command staff or control centres. Te important issue is how this data is integrated into applications and the relevant Geographic Information Systems to provide a seamless environment for managing and protecting resources.
TE TRA TODAY Issue 3 May 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44