Overview
PRISMATICA is an project that brings together six urban public transport operators (including London Underground; RATP, Paris; and STIB, Brussels) and several research and technology laboratories from across Europe. It aims to integrate technical systems and operational processes to develop innovative security management systems for transport operators. As such, the project contributes to more general efforts to make public transport systems more attractive to passengers, and more secure both for passengers and staff.
The key objectives of the project are:
- to study current practices in surveillance work and security management in control rooms and operations centres;
- to develop user and organisational requirements for security management in urban and regional public transport networks;
- to enhance, develop and implement cost-effective technical tools for remote monitoring and automatic detection of events that threaten the security of passengers, personnel and property.
The technical component of the project uses a variety of tools (most notably image recognition technologies, but also audio surveillance systems) to aid the automatic detection of a range of events, such as violence, trespass, congestion, fires, suspect packages and suspect individuals, theft, vandalism, ticket fraud and so forth. Additionally, the project will survey and assess best practice in prevention techniques and security management amongst European operators.
Funding
Results
The capability of automatic systems to detect potentially dangerous situations has been demonstraded. Furthermore, it has been shown that distributed systems can promptly alert operators providing multiple sensor views of the events. Real-world demonstrators on key sites have demonstrated the feasibility of the approach.
Technical Implications
To further improve the understanding of the actual needs, requirements and ways in which more advanced technical capabilities can be utilised successfully, trials and demonstrations should be undertaken under extended periods of time and with opportunities to be evaluated and verified within its actual enviroment.
Policy implications
None