Different, often very dynamically changing security situations and the required increase in efficiency in human resources increase the demands on emergency and security services, as well as relief organizations at the same time. The recent past has shown this incisively with the problems at the borders as part of the international refugee situation. The safety requirements in industrial plants and at large events often provide dynamic requirements for security solutions and to the operators. The key to an optimized operational command and successful management of different risk situations consist of an innovative, time-optimized generation of a situational overview, a role- and scenario focused, appropriate management and a stable communication solution, taking into account a flexible, modular and multi-sensor system concept.
Therefore this project focuses on the development of innovative technical solutions for the permanent (24/7 operation) observation of critical spatial areas (outdoor), as well as an automatic analysis of the situation on the basis of a multi-sensor system approach to support time-critical decision-making processes. Principally the definition of system requirements arise from a focused analysis of application scenarios, whereas the following scenarios are essential for WatchDog:
a) monitoring of transit and border areas
b) monitoring of industrial facilities and critical infrastructure
c) Monitoring as part of security tasks in urban areas and public events
d) camp protection under humanitarian missions of the Federal Army
Especially securing of industrial facilities and critical infrastructure based on changing security situations and public events, etc. pose special requirements (e.g. 24/7 operation) on solutions for a flexible near-realtime multi-modal generation of information to optimize security management.
Target of WatchDog is to develop a flexible, mobile, energy and communication self-sufficient multi-sensor system concept for the scenarios. For flexible operation the concept relies on innovative, energy-independent mobile telescopic mast systems equipped with the WatchDog communication and sensor modules. Innovative, LED-based lighting systems and speakers can be integrated to support security measures. In difficult topographies the sensor mast systems will be supplemented with a UAV or balloon to secure the the communication network for controlling the modules of the sensor mast and for transmitting the data to first responders and control centres stably.
As a result a proof-of-concept demonstrator will be set up, which evaluates the WatchDog-approach based on defined user requirements in close-to-laboratory tests as well as give a proof of performance and practical suitability in relevant scenarios. WatchDog relies on innovative, commercially available solutions, integrates results of national (EN MASSE, MONITOR, etc.) and international research projects (BRIDGE, etc.) and focuses on research topics such as multi-senor data and situation analysis as well as independent, dynamic and dependable broadband communication. An important research topic for the targeted technology concept is the development of a radar module which is tailored to the scenarios and is compact and inexpensive. A further research focus is the development of multi-sensor-based (optical, thermal, radar) analysis methods and management modules to account for a near-real time generation of a situation overview to support operation command and time-critical decision processes. The evaluation results of the final tests will serve to set up a product concept of the WatchDog system which will be executed in follow-up projects.
The intensive involvement of carriers and an expert board (with relevant international experts) ensures focused, practice-oriented alignment of research tasks. The results of social science and legal issues are included in the concepts and ensure the usability and acceptance of WatchDog.
Coordinator
DI Alexander Almer, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsges.mbH, DIGITAL
Partner
Lakeside Labs Gmbh
AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
IFR - Ing. Richard Feischl
Kapsch BusinessCom AG
INRAS GmbH
UAR-Robotics GmbH
WAGNER Sicherheit GmbH
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz; Institut für Soziologie
Agentur für Europäische Integration und wirtschaftliche Entwicklung GmbH
Essential Consumer
Bundesministerium für Inneres
Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung und Sport
Contact
DI Alexander Almer
JOANNEUM RESEARCH – DIGITAL – Institut für Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien
Steyrergasse 17, 8010 Graz, AUSTRIA
Tel.: +043 316 876 1738 Mobile: +043 699 1876 1738
Fax: +043 316 876 1720 E-Fax: +043 316 876 9 1738
E-Mail: alexander.almer@joanneum.at
Internet: http://www.joanneum.at/digital
