New tech tested at Sentosa can spot unattended objects, intruders at sea

Channel NewsAsia 18 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE: Hitachi Asia has completed its first tests for the urban safety and security solutions it is developing in Singapore, which involves technology that can detect intruders at sea as well as unattended items at a crowded station concourse.

The test, which was conducted at Sentosa island, achieved an accuracy rate of over 90 per cent, the company said in a news release on Friday (Aug 18).

Hitachi said that it applied its video analytics software to the existing infrastructure on Sentosa to detect intruders in the sea.

The same technique was also used to locate unattended objects in public through real-time monitoring and to alert relevant parties, for example by sending automatic alerts to command centres and security guards or to the public.

"This system minimises response time and the reduction in manual surveillance also increases productivity," Hitachi said.

"The data collected enables both analytics for investigation support, since a person's history can be traced, as well as business operation(s), given that human flow is tracked."

The tests are part of a project under the Safety & Security Industry Programme 2020, led by the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The project aims to grow Singapore into ASEAN's leading incubator for safety and security businesses, and was created in response to a call for collaboration by the Safety and Security Industry Programme Office (SSIPO) to develop safety and security solutions for agencies such as the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force.

"Our safety and security agencies are continuously seeking to make use of new technologies and innovation to keep up with the challenges and maintain our operational excellence," Ng Yeow Boon, the senior director of MHA's ops-tech group, said in the news release.

Kosuke Horiuchi, managing director of Hitachi Asia, said that the company believed its "cutting-edge technology and advanced IT system can further increase Singapore's security levels".

"We are very excited to collaborate with the Singapore Government to make the country a safer place to live in," he added.

Source: CNA/nc