System for critical infrastructure security based on multispectral observation-detection module

Recent terrorist attacks and possibilities of such actions in future have forced to develop security systems for critical infrastructures that embrace sensors technologies and technical organization of systems. The used till now perimeter protection of stationary objects, based on construction of a ring with two-zone fencing, visual cameras with illumination are efficiently displaced by the systems of the multisensor technology that consists of: visible technology – day/night cameras registering optical contrast of a scene, thermal technology – cheap bolometric cameras recording thermal contrast of a scene and active ground radars – microwave and millimetre wavelengths that record and detect reflected radiation. Merging of these three different technologies into one system requires methodology for selection of technical conditions of installation and parameters of sensors. This procedure enables us to construct a system with correlated range, resolution, field of view and object identification. Important technical problem connected with the multispectral system is its software, which helps couple the radar with the cameras. This software can be used for automatic focusing of cameras, automatic guiding cameras to an object detected by the radar, tracking of the object and localization of the object on the digital map as well as target identification and alerting. Based on “plug and play” architecture, this system provides unmatched flexibility and simplistic integration of sensors and devices in TCP/IP networks. Using a graphical user interface it is possible to control sensors and monitor streaming video and other data over the network, visualize the results of data fusion process and obtain detailed information about detected intruders over a digital map. System provide high-level applications and operator workload reduction with features such as sensor to sensor cueing from detection devices, automatic e-mail notification and alarm triggering. The paper presents a structure and some elements of critical infrastructure protection solution which is based on a modular multisensor security system. System description is focused mainly on methodology of selection of sensors parameters. The results of the tests in real conditions are also presented.