Network cameras have been installed in The Rose Bowl, home to the Hampshire County Cricket Club and a venue for the summer 2007 England versus India one-day series.
AXIS 214 PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) cameras were installed by iCode Systems Limited as part of an upgrade of the stadium’s system over the last year. The upgrade, installed by Taylor Made Computer Solutions, an iCode business partner included the networking of 16 CCTV cameras using four AXIS 241Q (Quad) Video Servers to convert analogue into digital signals for recording and management by iCode’s own i-Catcher Console 3 software, which sits on the stadium’s data network infrastructure. Cameras are now required by the International Cricket Council, at all venues hosting internationals, to monitor the doorways into home and away team dressing rooms as part of measures to prevent corruption. The police are also requesting more sophisticated surveillance for crowd control at major events such as rock concerts, which the stadium also hosts.
Axis cameras also cover the main seating area and key entrances and catering areas and can be easily relocated to suit the requirements for specific events. Huw Edwards, technical director, iCode Systems, says: “The police have used these cameras to provide them with very close up images of individuals committing an offence including securing three arrests following a pitch invasion during one cricket international game held at the Rose Bowl just one month after the new system went live. For some larger events such as the recent The Who concert the system is more likely to be used by the police for predicting and preventing crowd crushing for example … Axis cameras can be easily redeployed to meet these specific needs.”
iCode’s i-Catcher Console 3 provides a scalable surveillance management system, with motion detection, alerting, with provision of a remote web interface, simultaneous recording and playback and flexible display options. Features include loiter detection and people counting. Another advantage of transferring the system onto the network was that Rose Bowl managers are now able to view the stadium remotely via the internet and even from their Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) while outside the ground.
Edwards sums up: “We now recommend Axis network cameras with all systems we install where new cameras are required because they offer superior performance, great reliability and are easy to integrate into surveillance management solutions because of their open architecture.”
Steve Gorski, managing director, Axis Communications (UK) adds: “The Rose Bowl is one of hundreds of organisations that are now realising the benefits of going digital and deploying Axis network cameras to improve surveillance results.”
