MRT In-Car Video Surveillance System
Guarding Passenger Safety

Project
In many cities, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system carries over million passengers every day. Mishaps can happen at any moment, involving casualties, crimes, or biohazards. A video surveillance system that monitors every corner throughout MRT stations and trains helps maintain minute to minute passenger safety.

One MRT authority is purchasing an in-vehicle video surveillance system for its newest MRT line. This time, Advantech, in cooperation with another partner, is providing a solution based on the ARK-VH200 fanless Embedded IPC, which enables real time remote monitoring and simultaneous video recording of the in-car space.

The ARK-VH200 supports a state-of-the-arthardware H.264 video encoder, which is the most popular video compression technology; it provides high video quality with much smaller files, saving bandwidth and storage costs. The ARK-VH200 is provided with dual hard disks of up to 1TB storage capacity through internal HDD bay and eSATA. The solution also features the Power over Ethernet (PoE) function, so along with data transfer, power can also be fed to various devices, such as video cameras, all on Ethernet cabling.

Requirements

• Total of 1TB-Hard Drive Storage Capacity
• One PoE port compliant with IEEE 802.3 af
• Four channels of real time hardware H.264 digital video recording @ D1 resolution
• EN50155 certified
• Ruggedand vibration-resistant

System:
Each of the MRT cars is equipped with an ARK-VH200 connected to four video cameras that record in-car video from above. For the driver’s cabinet, there is one video camera inside that monitors the driver, and another camera mounted outside on top of the lead car targeting the rails. There is a 4-up, split-screen display in the driver’s compartment that allows the driver to monitor live video from the passenger cars, with the screens shifting to display a different car every 5 seconds. All high quality video; each video camera takes 30 frames per second at D1 resolution (704 x 480 pixels).

Last but not least, all devices used in this video surveillance solution are in accordance with EN50155, the most widely recognized international standard for electrical and electronic appliancesusedfor rail vehicles, which means that this system has broad international applicability. 
 

Conclusion
For a metropolitan mass transit system which sees huge human flows in and out each day, speed and comfort are among the main concerns for service quality, but security is most important of all. A comprehensive video surveillance system can help prevent crimes and keep mishaps from becoming tragedies. The remote live-view function allows MRT staff to deliver help to passengers in need as soon as possible. Video archives come into play in resolving disputes or clarifying responsibilities, and also aid in preventative planning. Video archives can also, of course, offer important help in crime investigations.

Suggested Application Implementation

ARK-VH200  High Performance Mobile Intel® Atom™ Fanless DVR solution