Buildings that digitally manage access to all areas, monitor air temperature and humidity – as well as the angle of the blinds – are a reality, thanks to the spread of wireless technology. By Piers Caulfield
James Bond-style security and surveillance gadgets are no longer the reserve of Hollywood and government. Low-cost, easily available products are on their way in.
If you have been concerned about speed cameras that digitally photograph your car and upload the data to a control centre via a wireless network within seconds of your passing, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
In both the home and the office, the humble alarm system is rapidly becoming a distant cousin of today’s state-of-the-art site management systems.
Today’s hi-tech security marketplace is a struggle for supremacy between hard-cabled systems and the wireless upstarts. The latter are increasingly in the ascendancy owing to the increasing equality in the rating of systems by organisations such as the DTI and British Standards.
Thomas Jones of GD Systems Risk Management Solutions in Torquay is one of a growing number of specialists in this area who can foresee where the market for systems-controlled workplaces is heading. For these people, wireless technology means less tedium and more security for staff.
The computer knows you’re late
In large industrial premises with many employees, today’s systems will monitor arrival and departure times (eliminating punch card systems) and archive the entire employee record.
Such systems can be configured with triggers that respond to absences of key team members, enabling “just in time” replacements to be found. They can also restrict some employees from entering specific areas (clean rooms, secure areas, dangerous environments, for example), with door systems being pre-programmed to respond appropriately.
Digital CCTV systems can similarly be activated by the presence of anyone unauthorised to be in that environment. In addition to providing security, these systems can also be integrated with building management, allowing fully programmable (and zoneable) control of air conditioning, lighting and lifts, maximising energy efficiency and comfort.
Most systems also offer “asset tracking” for specific tagged items, thus making it possible to create a complete log for the movement of items as diverse as projectors and hospital beds – GD has been asked to tag beds for hospital trusts that “lose” up to 30 beds a year, at a cost of over £1,000 each.
Another feature of site management systems is the incorporation of panic alarms that instantly relay calls for help to a control room. This is a health and safety requirement for protecting employees, and is essential for hospitals, nursing homes and buildings where night security staff are employed.
All of the more sophisticated site management units are capable of handling digital video entry phone systems, making it possible to centralise “night watch” services, which would otherwise require salaried staff at various building entrances.
The applications are not restricted to security; electro-detectors has been designing radio fire alarm systems for around 20 years. The incorporation of fire alarm systems into building management systems is crucial, as reaction times to alarms and warning beacons on large sites can be crucial in preventing injury, or even fatalities.
Thousands of sensors
Larger systems will handle thousands of sensors and potentially cover a thousand zones. Huge advances in error correction have also been made on smoke detectors and heat-sensing devices, reducing false alarms. All modern devices incorporate self-testing routines and error logging is usually integral to the control interface. When these detector systems are married to mobile devices such as pagers, incidents can be investigated within minutes, even on larger sites.
Central locking and visual recognition systems for managing building security are becoming a realistic and economically viable possibility, as the technologies involved become more and more common. Standards such as the Bluetooth wireless control system open the door to a whole new range of applications, while optical recognition systems are becoming cheaper by the day. It is almost four years since the Nationwide Building Society installed the first optical recognition cashpoints, which use iris scanning to replace the humble PIN, at their UK headquarters.
Programme away the sunlight
Other new developments are on the way, such as systems that automatically adjust blinds to the intensity of sunlight, thus keeping levels of VDU screen glare within health and safety requirements, or systems that allow heat and humidity to be programmed.
There is also an increasing trend towards incorporating indoor gardens – some of which include complete trees and tropical areas – presenting an even greater challenge for control systems, which must factor in a range of moisture requirements.
However, given the budget, the possibilities seem endless. Meeting scheduling can be coordinated through many site management systems, and this is frequently integrated with a room-booking facility. It’s even possible to pre-schedule refreshments for guests using a “drag and drop” interactive menu.
Repairs are also a key feature of building management, so today’s systems will be expected to alert managers to blown light bulbs and lavatories that are out of order. Perhaps one day soon they will also allow for restocking paper, towels and soap.
Computer telephony integration is already with us; integrating a telephone network with a building management system is merely a case of putting data-feed inputs and outputs in place. Soon, employees could have their e-mails read to them while they are in the lift, be notified automatically as visitors pull into the car park, or be personally greeted in the morning by the virtual doorperson, who informs them that they have five voice mails and two memos waiting.
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Where are the wavelengths? |
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One barrier to the growth of wireless products has been doubts about radio based systems’ resilience to interference. However, the Radio Frequency Agency (part of the DTI) has long since isolated frequencies for the exclusive use of such devices. Private mobile radio frequencies lie between 166Mhz and 225Mhz and are referred to as MPT 1344 and MPT 1328, the former being communication devices and the latter being communication panels. Every device using a radio frequency must be licensed by the DTI, whilst deliberate interference or jamming forms part of the anti-tamper capabilities of the equipment. |
