Mass Transit and Wireless Mesh: How Real-Time and Mobile Video Surveillance Ensures Public Safety

More and more people are turning to public transportation as a vital way of getting around, whether it’s for work, personal or pleasure. With so many passengers to account for, a major concern within the mass transit market is the safety of people -- passengers, officers and workers; and property. With many threats including fire, terrorism, thefts, and protests, safety organizations around the globe are turning to video surveillance to aid them in awareness and prevention of tragedies to better ensure the safety of millions of passengers that depend on daily public transportation. A major challenge facing mass transit designers and engineers is how to provide real-time video monitoring aboard moving vehicles as well as in transit stations and even remote parking areas. While running cable to some locations is relatively easy and affordable, for many locations cabling is not feasible or affordable and wireless technology is a requirement. This presentation will focus on the challenges of deploying video surveillance for mass transit, network system requirements, and technology alternatives for creating a high-performance, reliable, and secure communications network. A case study on the subway system in Seoul, Korea will be reviewed. The Seoul subway represents one of the heaviest used rapid transit systems in the world. After the Daegu, Korea subway fire (which killed 198), the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRT) wanted a wireless, real-time video surveillance system to give operators the ability to keep an eye on all trains and stations. The ability to stream video from a station’s camera to a monitor in a train moving at speeds of 50 mph was critical. Wireless mesh technology was the only option to transmit video to and from the subway cars, as it provided reliable seamless handoff and roaming along the fixed wireless infrastructure and met performance requirements. In addition to the video surveillance from the station to the train operators, the wireless mesh network also provides video surveillance from inside of passenger trains to a monitoring center and video streaming of public announcements. After years of research and evaluations of several vendors’ wireless solutions for high performance mobile communications in a harsh environment, the SMRT decided to deploy a Firetide wireless infrastructure mesh solution for video surveillance in Seoul’s subway system. The wireless mesh network is made up of 1,000 Firetide mesh nodes, 350 cameras in the stations and 300 inside of trains. The wireless infrastructure delivers 20 Mbps of capacity, enabling real-time streaming video to and from the trains moving at 50 mph. The wireless infrastructure mesh solution is the first of its kind in Korea with real-time, high-bandwidth mobile wireless video surveillance. Existing public transportation systems must embrace innovative technologies to improve their overall offering and stay competitive. Firetide’s uniquely developed wireless technology highlights how companies are overcoming challenging applications and deployments within harsh and distinctive environments. Ensuring public safety in public transportation is a critical success factor to the survival and growth of the market.