Susan Brady: Describe the different kinds of applications that present extreme environmental concerns and how technology is addressing them. Do the same for applications concerning vandalism.
GE General Manager for Video and Software Solutions, Robert Siegel: Cameras are often called on to perform near a beach or coastline where salt and sand could destroy the camera and pan/tilt/zoom. Industrial manufacturing facilities produce high levels of contaminants. There are other severe environments where the durability and long life of a camera and its PTZ are a priority. They are also often asked to withstand harsh temperature extremes from minus 40° C to as high as 50° C, as endured in parking lots, warehouses, docks, factories and other industrial applications.
Vandalism and repelling attacks by potential terrorists or others trying to obscure the video is especially prevalent at schools or in homeland protection applications, such as at airports and docks. Such camera systems must include hardy weatherproof die-cast aluminum or stainless steel housing, strong impact- and vandal-resistant Lexan windows/domes and tamperproof screws.
Extreme CCTV Founder, CEO and President, Jack Gin: Extreme CCTV’s products are currently applied in the world’s most extreme environments. These include explosive, caustic, marine, underwater and ballistic environments, as well as extreme Antarctic cold to extreme desert heat. The most common extreme environments in which our integration partners are succeeding daily include oil and gas facilities, chemical plants, food processing, industrial freezers and wash down facilities. Many of these locations are hazardous, and there can be a constant explosive hazard caused by the presence of hydrogen, acetylene and other dangerous vapors.
Vandal-prone locations are a separate category of extreme environment that requires a different set of performance criteria. We consider the vandal-prone environments less severe from a materials science point of view as there are fewer concerns over potential regulatory requirements. Products for vandal-prone environments still require important design considerations. But most importantly, the products just need to be tough and tamperproof. Extreme products utilize impact-resistant materials, feature tamper-proof design and are specified for use at some of the most vandal-prone environments anywhere, including one notorious prison in Iraq. However, our dealers and integrators have told us that schools across North America are some of most physically abusive environments in which our cameras have to operate.
At the extreme end of vandal-prone environments are locations subject to gunfire. Developing cameras with ballistic level performance challenged Extreme’s R&D team to combine expertise in materials science, opto-electronics and mechanical design. We demonstrate our success in an actual video clip available at
www.ExtremeCCTV.com from FPED V at Quantico Marine Corps Base where we show the video from a ZX20 ballistic camera under gunfire attack from a U.S. Marines marksman.
Amongst these challenges, we solve the problems of extreme darkness. Low-light environments are often overlooked extreme environments that our dealers and integrators successfully address every day—or more accurately every night. Extreme uses its expertise in active-infrared imaging to ensure that images under low-light and no-light conditions are just as good as those taken during the day.
Brady: What are some do’s and don’ts you can offer dealers to be successful when speccing an install that requires they pay particular attention to the extremes?
Siegel: Dealers should not under-specify camera system housings and accessories to come in at a lower cost. They need to make the user understand that in order to meet the needs of the environment in which the camera is supposed to work, the system needs to be more rugged. For instance, they may need a rugged PTZ camera dome offering dry nitrogen pressurization for protection in harsh environments.
As an example, in areas with air-based contaminants, from sea spray to dust, they need a system with an IP50, IP65, IP66, or IP67 environmental rating. Domes can meet this standard when filled with 3 to 5 psi of inert dry nitrogen. Their rugged camera system should also meet NEMA 4X for water ingress and have a UL flame rating of 945VA. They may also need a durable dome construction with UV protection for long life.
Gin: Understand exactly why the environment is considered to be extreme. Determine if the location has been specially rated by a government authority having jurisdiction. Often, designers may mistakenly decide on certification requirements that have no relevance to the actual project. For example, if the location is biochemical facility with an explosive hazard due to the presence of hydrogen gas, the equipment requirements are very different from a clean room that is hosed down daily with chlorine. Understanding the environment is a critical step to ensure not only that the product is appropriate for the environment and conforms to the required standards, but also that lives are properly protected from danger.
Document everything. Once you determine an appropriate set of equipment requirements usually in the form of UL/CSA certifications granted by an NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory), the next step is to ensure your equipment meets those requirements. Extreme can help with this step— just call us or refer to our technical binder.
Brady: What percentage of the overall video surveillance market does this segment represent?
Siegel: This is in the 5-10 percent range of the market.
Gin: We prefer to consider this fact: that 100% of this “extreme” market segment is important to Extreme CCTV. Additionally, some parts are considered critically important to the Department of Homeland Security. Energy, agriculture, hazardous materials and chemical sites all represent extreme environments and each of these sectors are required to upgrade their security under DHS directives. Additionally, the use of CCTV in hazardous environments improves the overall safety of the site, mitigates risk and improves operational efficiency.
Brady: What new and exciting technology is on the horizon?
Siegel: GE will soon be introducing a complete integrated camera positioning system with remote control capability and weather-resistant pan/tilt and camera enclosures. Made of aluminum and high-strength composite components, the unit is durable and lightweight. The system will include a sunshield and environmentally sealed enclosure. Optional heaters in both the pan/tilt housing and camera enclosure will be available.
This camera system will handle winds up to 155 miles per hour and temperatures as low as –40° F and as high as 131° F. It will come standard with composite components and corrosion-resistant, powder-coated aluminum in colorfast off-white. Concealed wiring will add to the housing system’s ability to survive high-risk environments.
Gin: Extreme’s R&D teams are taking night vision to the extreme by defining a new product category called active-imaging. Our GVS1000 long-range night vision system will be integrated at ports with other detection devices, such as radar, to create an integrated marine surveillance system. The GVS1000 will produce high-resolution images, reading the lettering on vessels from a distance of 3000 feet.
Further technology under development includes a range-gated imager that will see through 1000 feet of fog and other airborne obscurities. The images from this highly specialized camera will be able to provide high-resolution imaging, a capability that is currently unavailable.
