As the effects of climate change become more and more pronounced each day, people and governments are changing their habits and policies in a bid to make their lives more sustainable. One area that is widely seen as critical to curbing carbon dioxide emissions is transportation, particularly efforts to improve public transportation. With nations both developing and developed seeking to enhance their public transportation networks, managing the safety of ever-burgeoning fleets of road and rail vehicles has become a major challenge to unlocking their full potential to mitigate global warming.

EverFocus Electronics Corp. is one of the world’s leading providers of surveillance products and AIoT solutions, and industrial PCs. As part of its commitment to delivering the best products and first-class services to customers, the company continuously adopts the cutting-edge technology, as well as advanced manufacturing processes to ensure production efficiency.

EverFocus has made its name integrating hardware and software solutions, particularly by adapting existing infrastructure to meet customer needs. For nearly two decades, the firm has leveraged its expertise for clients in the transportation sector, providing them with the appropriate solutions and services to improve the safety and management of their networks.

To further strengthen its portfolio of solutions, EverFocus is dedicating considerable effort to creating industrial PCs optimized for the needs of the surveillance sector. These offerings include its new AI Smart Surveillance Industrial Computer — a network video recorder (NVR) designed for use on mobile platforms that was awarded a 2020 Taiwan Excellence Award.

Networked cameras, recorders enhance safety, security and management of buses in India

With the planet’s second-largest population at more than 1.3 billion, India’s public transport systems are naturally among the most heavily used in the world. Public services are the primary mode of road transportation for most people in the country, making the proper management of such networks a heavy responsibility for their operators.

Since 2010, EverFocus has been providing equipment and solutions to enhance the security and safety of buses in India. The company began with a comprehensive analysis of the buses being used, starting with an evaluation of the best places to install video cameras and mobile digital video recorders on the vehicles. It then took a hard look at the recommended power infrastructure needed for its equipment and conducted installation tests. EverFocus attention to detail early in the process reduced the work and issues encountered when installing its surveillance equipment on buses and during subsequent maintenance.

In addition to improving the safety and security of buses, EverFocus provided 3G capabilities on its surveillance system. Thanks to the inclusion of mobile data communications, the system’s back end allows operators to easily track their bus fleets via GPS.

Custom software solution automates storage of video from hundreds of buses in Singapore

SBS Transit Ltd., originally known as Singapore Bus Service, is a multi-modal public transport firm that is the city-state’s largest public bus operator, with more than 2,700 buses in 2007. Having long heard about the reputation of its products, SBS chose EverFocus to provide the core of its monitoring systems for buses.

In 2006, EverFocus supplied SBS with a total of 1,238 digital video recorders. One feature of the system is that if a bus driver sees a passenger vehicle illegally entering the bus lane, they can press an alarm button to record the incident. The Singaporean government can use this video evidence to issue fines, benefiting not only road safety in general, but also SBS.

Senior staff at EverFocus’ research and development division created an automated archival software package for SBS. When a bus equipped with EverFocus’ hardware is within range of a wireless network access point in the bus depot, the software automatically interfaces with the digital video recorder and transfers event data. Any imagery needed by the customer can be wirelessly back-up to server for administrator management personnel to re-examine.

Driver visual assistance system reduces blind spots of streetcars in historic Russian transportation hub

Saint Petersburg, Russia, has a long history of being a transportation hub, particularly on the rail networks. The city’s streetcar network was once the second-largest in the world and remains an important mode of transportation for many residents. With the demise of the local streetcar manufacturer, the network’s operator was forced to look abroad for replacement stock.

In 2016, Stadler Minsk won a contract to supply 23 streetcars for a new network in Krasnogvardeysky District, with delivery beginning in 2017. These new streetcars are equipped with EverFocus’ EMV1200 full-HD mobile digital video recorders, which form the foundation of a system that enhances safety and fleet management.

Streetcar networks tend to be more complicated than those of buses, so they have relatively stricter safety regulations. EverFocus developed a driver visual assistance system that helps reduce blind spots caused by the long body of a streetcar, thereby cutting down on accidents.

An integrated fleet management system makes it easy for users to access real-time surveillance camera and GPS tracking data for each vehicle. All of this information can be accessed via smartphone or remote management systems, with a simple interface that helps users easily play back or export the data they want.

Thanks to EverFocus’ vast experience with systems integration, installation of the surveillance and monitoring equipment did not necessitate the replacement of the streetcars’ entire communications system. Each streetcar synchronizes its time with the network and uses relevant communications protocols to transmit data.

Statistics:

• Integrated mobile communications facilitate vehicle tracking and fleet management
• Automated archival platform wirelessly transfers recordings when buses are in range of access points in bus depot
• Alarm button triggers recording of events, which can be used by law enforcement
• Driver visual assistance system helps reduce blind spots of streetcars, cutting down on accidents
• Real-time surveillance footage and GPS data easily accessible via smartphone or remote management systems