TrafficInfraTech Magazine Linking People Places & Progress
Ashish P Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt Ltd
Ashish P Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt Ltd, talks to Trafficinfratech about how customized video security solutions galvanize his ‘Make in India’ vision. He is enthusiastic sharing his views on taking digital transformation & connectivity to new heights with 5G technology, and plans to pursue his vision for seamless security networks that will help secure the highways.
You have always been very emphatic about Hikvision India’s efforts to manufacture in India solutions customized for Indian conditions and local requirements. What have been the latest offerings in the video security space?
Hikvision India is committed to the ‘Make-in-India’ vision with a long term perspective. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Vasai is a living testimony of a marvel that is unfolding through Indian video security products and solutions. These solutions are customized for Indian environmental conditions and specific local requirements.
Hikvision India offers the best-in-class solutions to make the transportation, smart and secure at all touchpoints. For smart transportation requirements, we offer innovative solutions to enable smart traffic management and safe transit. Our Intelligent Traffic Systems & Solutions include illegal parking detection system and a mobile police security system integrated into a comprehensive control platform.
The ITS subsystems offer solutions related to Speed Detection, Traffic Incident Detection System, Intersection Violation Detection, Traffic Flow Collection, Parking Violation, Mobile Enforcement, etc.
How has the market evolved recently?
India’s transportation market is fast evolving with the latest smart mobility trends and advanced security solutions. The transportation security market is back to normal after going through serious supply chain disruptions during the pandemic.
We are setting up an agenda and acting up on it for the future growth of the Indian security industry with a clear roadmap. It is a great experience to introduce the latest technologies and applications like IoT (Internet of things) and AIoT to our partners, end-users and stakeholders. With the government’s big push for fast track completion of highways, waterways, metro rail and BRTS projects, the demand for latest transportation security solutions is growing exponentially.
How are you incorporating innovations, as you are backed by an advanced R&D center?
Our R&D center focuses on innovations related to vertical specific requirements and customization of solutions. AI enabled ITS solutions can help address and eliminate security threats. Hikvision offers Smart Transportation Solution, which has the capabilities of forewarning the traffic congestion situation from a long distance. It also has Speed Limit Violation Detection Cameras and Radars for Highways to detect speed violation cases.
We also provide AI-enabled intelligent and smart security solutions, which can help the traffic administrator in identification of type of vehicle, right direction movement of vehicle, Red Light Violations Detection (RLVD) and driver behaviour (monitoring driver movements, abnormal gestures & postures, drunken state, seat belt violations, etc). It has special features for Helmet Detection (customized solution is available), ANPR and e- challan.
While speaking to TrafficInfraTech magazine last year, you had mentioned how 5G technology could bring more efficiency in video security based ITS. Can you look at it again at the wake of our government’s efforts to make 5G available across the country?
Taking India’s digital transformation and connectivity to new heights, the launch of 5G services in India is an epoch-making moment for transportation security and Video Security based ITS. The transportation industry, ranging from public buses to private logistic fleets, is a sector that could benefit greatly from the introduction of next-generation wireless networks
When added to existing network architectures, 5G technology has the potential to provide increased visibility and control over transportation systems. The low latency, high capacity, and reliability will enhance how goods and people travel. Through mobile technology, 5G is expected to provide end-to-end connectivity across our cities and beyond. It will support many types of communications for transportation companies. Two of the most important are :
- Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V): Vehicles relay signals directly to each other
- Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I): Vehicles communicate with sensors on bridges, roads, traffic lights and video security systems
As 5G networks roll out across our cities and bind together existing wireless networks, they can provide real-time, end-to-end visibility into our transportation systems. 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology. 5G can provide high speed (up to 10x faster than median speeds of 4G LTE), low latency and massive capacity. It is one of the fastest, most robust technologies the world has ever seen. The 5G technology has the ability to provide real time monitoring of public transport vehicles and user demand management, where the matching process between supply and demand will become more effective. This will create a near real-time Origin-Destination (OD) matrix to make transport operators more efficient. The 5G technology will add the speed and seamless data flow to connected ITS network.
Would you like to highlight the solutions from the Trafficinfratech Expo point of view?
Hikvision India is planning to showcase the latest offerings in the transportation solutions at 2022 event. These products and solution, include Intelligent Traffic Management Solutions, Mobile Solutions, Automatic Number Plate Recognition Solution, Artificial Intelligence Technology Applications, Vehicle Surveillance, Smart Parking Solutions, Smart Boom Barriers, Command and Control, Under Vehicle Surveillance Solution, Emergency Call Box and Smart Pole.
How do you want to be part of the emerging India?
Hikvision India wants to be part of new India’s growth story by addressing transportation security challenges while offering value added solutions. We are offering cutting–edge technologies and solutions to the myriad challenges (traffic rule violations, non-compliance of road safety norms (seat belt, helmet etc.), traffic congestion, road rage, hit & run cases, and toll fare evasion).
Hikvision’s intelligent transportation systems offer an array of benefits to citizens. It is one of the main ways of improving the daily lives of citizens and supporting sustainability. The systems include tracking high trafficked pedestrian areas, traffic patterns, metro stations and coordinating with frequency & time on buses and suburban local train networks. The Intelligent Transportation System offer benefits like enhancing traffic safety, limiting infrastructure damage, traffic control, parking management and acquiring traffic data. Intelligent transportation system can enhance interoperability, general awareness of situations, and the capacity to share information swiftly across digital platforms. It offers a comprehensive approach to risk management, putting emergency procedures & response capabilities in place and identifying dangers, including vandalism, fare evasion, & medical emergencies.
What are the steps taken to secure highways for seamless network?
In India, highway security systems are getting upgraded, the change is visible now as the demand is picking up fast. The quality of highways has improved a lot. The highway security systems have moved from Analog to IP technology. There are significant improvements in terms of ANPR cameras, Speed Detection cameras, Radars and ITS. Now these cameras are equipped with transformative technologies (IoT, AI and Big Data) to enable intelligent and smart transportation security solutions.
In any big highway projects, tunnels form a major part. Since tunnels do not have natural light, Video Surveillance Camera technology needs to adapt the latest available options. DarkFighter PTZ Cameras and Video Incident detection system, are the way forward. Today, video surveillance technology has evolved to such level that even in tunnels, highest optimum image and videos can be captured with artificial light. Also Emergency call box can be installed in different parts of the tunnel; in case of any panic situation, it can be used.
Through fiber connectivity tunnel or highway can be monitored through the command and control center. The video incident detection system can help to achieve efficiency in highway management, where command center will come to know which vehicle is taking a wrong route. It will help to detect, which vehicle is parked for long. It can monitor and detect any pedestrian crossing the highway.
What is the security system requirement to achieve optimal performance on a highway/in a tunnel?
In India most of the inter-state highway security systems need to be protected, monitored and secured as per SOP (standard Operating Procedures). Some of the border and sensitive areas have highway police petrol teams, but in other parts of the country highway security systems require enhanced protection. This makes highway systems vulnerable to threats from terrorists, robbers and extremists in remote locations.
The highway security systems are subject to vandalism, theft and attacks. These are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources and to protect the highway from damage or harm such as espionage, sabotage, or terrorist attacks. Such systems involve the use of multiple layers of interdependent systems which include CCTV systems, communication systems, protective barriers, access control and alarm systems, and more. The security systems need to be protected by all means necessary, by remote monitoring, man guarding & patrolling and effective cyber security plan.
If you consider all the critical actions that highway physical security system is able to perform, then it becomes immediately apparent why you need to protect it from outside threats and attacks. The utility of Highway Security Systems can be achieved by mission critical monitoring, regular maintenance and constant technology upgrades. To achieve optimal performance one needs to have a resilient back up plan in place.
What are the innovations in designing, implementing and upgrading highway/tunnel security?
The highway traffic safety and security can be enhanced by technology upgrade. Resilience, compliance and awareness among all the key stakeholders can help a lot. There are innovative technologies to bolster highway and tunnel security. The use of ANPR cameras help to identify the vehicles passing through the toll plazas as well as all along the highway/ tunnel. The ANPR video data is critical in case of accidents or natural calamity and helpful tool for traffic safety enhancement.
AI based video surveillance cameras and emergency boxes are bringing new innovations like vehicle classification, driver behaviour, speed of vehicles on the highway, etc. A single camera can monitor the lanes, which will also add as a tool in creating a cost effective solution for traffic safety.
Hikvision Traffic Visualization Dashboard: With the Hikvision Traffic Visualization Dashboard, traffic managers can view historical and real-time traffic information, helping them make the best decisions and improve outcomes for road users and residents. To help authorities overcome their immediate and longer-term traffic management challenges, we have created the Traffic Visualization Dashboard. This integrates data from roadside cameras & sensors, and displays it to traffic management teams via an immersive, map-based interface. The traffic visualization dashboard provides optimized traffic management decisions, real-time incident responses and improved traffic violation management and actionable traffic insights ‘at a glance’.
Smart Traffic Violation Detection Solution: The solution incorporates Hikvision smart traffic cameras, radar sensors, traffic light signal detectors, traffic servers, and control room infrastructure to provide a real-time view of traffic incidents across the road network. They work to support four important road safety capabilities.
