VSD supports multiple radar and camera inputs, providing a clear display of the camera videos and radar data. The intuitive user interface has been designed with touchscreen devices in mind, so that the most commonly used controls are readily accessible within the main application window and are adjustable via large graphical control elements. The appearance of the user interface can be easily customised through configuration file settings.
The radar portion of the display provides a geographic overview of the situation, showing all of the available radar videos, tracks and secondary data, overlaid on a clear tiled map. The camera video portion of the window shows a large display of the video from the currently selected camera, optionally with another camera video displayed as picture-in-picture. Thumbnails of all available camera feeds then allow rapid and easy selection of a specific camera.
A key feature of the VSD application is its ability to control a camera to follow a selected radar track automatically. This capability is known as slew-to-cue and is further improved in VSD by the built-in video tracking function. Video tracking uses analysis of the camera video imagery to determine the target direction. Once a track has been designated within the radar display, video tracking can provide more accurate camera positioning for enhanced slew-to-cue. A built-in knowledge of local terrain allows the camera to be slewed to a specified height above ground.
Threat Analysis
VSD is intended to lighten the burden on security operatives, helping them to monitor multiple sources of data and make informed decisions quicker and easier. VSD includes straightforward alarm functionality, allowing protection zones and gates (including directional gates) to be defined easily, alerting the operator to any targets which enter or cross them.
VSD also includes a track fusion process, which continuously compares the primary radar tracks against secondary data, such as ADS-B and AIS. Since only cooperative (i.e. friendly) targets will generally provide secondary transponder data, VSD may automatically alert the operator to primary targets that do not have a corresponding secondary response.
Small Target Tracking
Cambridge Pixel has successfully demonstrated tracking of a small drone, using cameras provided by Silent Sentinel.
During field trials, the video tracker within VSD was able to acquire and track a small drone from infrared (thermal) camera video. The tracking information was used to steer the camera automatically, keeping the target within the field-of-view as it manoeuvred.
Drones and other small targets pose an increasing risk to assets such as power stations, prisons, airports and other public buildings. The ability to detect and track these threats reliably is therefore paramount in ensuring the security of the asset. When coupled with the right combination of sensors, VSD may be used as part of an overall asset protection system.
Comprehensive Camera Control
VSD supports several modes of operation for controlling the direction of cameras, ranging from manual joystick control through to fully automated steering. An operator may select a target within the radar window and have the chosen camera automatically follow that target based on the tracked position. Optionally, a height-above-ground value may be specified allowing the camera to tilt up or down to follow land targets more accurately.
A target within the camera video may be tracked based on the content of the video and this information then used to keep the target centred within the camera's view. This has the benefit of providing much higher update rates to steer the camera and is potentially more accurate.
VSD also supports the concept of camera tours, allowing the operator to define locations of interest that the camera then cycles through in sequence.
- Ready-made application for Windows
- Windows 10 compatible
- Configurable user interface
- Designed for touchscreen
- Up to four radar inputs
- Up to eight camera inputs
- Radar video and track display
- Track table display
- Pop-up PPI and video windows
- Map display
- Tiled maps
- User maps
- Secondary data (AIS, ADS-B, SSR/IFF) interfacing, decoding and display
- Fusion of primary and secondary track data to identify suspicious targets
- Camera display (multiple cameras)
- Integration with RDR recording product
- Camera control
- Slew-to-cue from selected radar target
- From video tracking
- Tour between specified locations
- Manual (GUI control or joystick device)
- Slew-to-cue
- Manually designated target
- Newest target
- Nearest target
- Cyclic
- Video blending (e.g. to highlight hotspots)
- Video stabilisation
- Video tracking
- Alarm zones and gates (including directional gates)
- Operator alerts
- Programmable soft buttons
