Connected Transportation

Bosch Group, India, showcased its connected products and solutions at the Beyond Mobility 2.0, a biennial  event in November 2018. Bosch provides connected solutions for the nation’s security systems. The country’s population of more than 1.3 billion people is constantly on the move, metro stations and airports are crowded and require smart security solutions with big data analysis to increase people’s safety. Bosch’s security solutions, such as intelligent cameras, public address systems and other technologies, are helping cities solve the urban transportation and safety issue by providing seamless digital platforms. Sudhir Tiku, Business Head – Security and Safety Systems, Bosch Limited India , spoke to Trafficinfratech on Connected Transportation, the range of Bosch’s security solutions, their adaptability to diverse settings and how data-driven security is the most effective form of protection for a wide array of infrastructure projects:

How do Bosch’s solutions for mass transportation distinguish themselves from others?

We have multiple end-to-end solutions in the mass transportation space, starting with intelligent videos systems which we use to see who is getting in, who is getting out, how is their behaviour etc. Our cameras are not just sensors; they have analytics built into them.

For example, if a passenger on a platform forgets his bag behind and leaves, the system can raise an alarm to indicate the precise location of unclaimed baggage. In that sense, our sensors are inherently intelligent.

In mass transit systems, the risk of arson, sabotage and overcrowding is always present. If an untoward incident occurs, the video footage can be examined and an audit trail created to determine the cause, as well as help in post-event management. Our systems can also generate predictive alarms indicating that something is wrong, to prevent such events in the first place. What differentiates us from the rest is that for others, a camera is just seeing; for us, cameras are for seeing as well as for detecting anomalies. Our sensors have the best-in-class detection with the lowest false alarm rate.

How do your solutions help in crisis management?

When we approach solutions for the transportation vertical, we are not talking only about cameras, because cameras are just one sub-system of a large puzzle that you need to solve. So after cameras will come the evacuation systems, needed in case of emergencies such as a fire. Suppose the camera detects a fire…what next? We have a system that instructs people how to evacuate. Our intelligent camera systems are integrated into evacuation systems; they will send an alarm to the evacuation system and tell people how to evacuate without causing panic.

In transportation infrastructure, blocks such as the network operating centre from which you control the movement of the trains are high security places. Only authorised personnel should have access; our access control systems ensure that only the right people can enter critical areas, preventing the disruption of metro operation.

What makes your hardware, software and data analytics ‘integrated’?

ST: Different systems such as the fire detection system, intrusion detection system and the voice evacuation system can ‘talk’ to each other. Integrating them on a single platform ensures event-driven intelligence awareness and quicker responses, while a single command control centre enables you to take control of all operations in the entire setup from a single interface.

Many stations have displays on the platforms to provide information related to a train’s arrival or departure. With our display units, various advertisements can be run during the time when the displays are idle.