Invictus cameras deployed to protect Plymouth’s Cattewater Harbour

The UK manufacturer of ruggedised HD, radar and thermal PTZ imaging cameras was selected to provide its specialist technology for this project in the wake of a comprehensive on-site evaluation process.

Safe operation

Plymouth is the largest city on the South West Peninsula and the port itself plays host to what is the most extensive naval base in Western Europe. In addition to civilian pleasure traffic encompassing yachts and paddleboards, the Port of Plymouth handles a variety of cargo vessels through its commercial terminals at Cattedown Wharves, Victoria Wharf and Corporation Wharf. Freight includes liquid and dry bulk goods, as well as specialist project consignments for construction and heavy industry.

The Cattewater Harbour Commissioners are responsible for the safe running of the port. They’re required to maintain and order safe navigation for all manner of craft, maintain and survey dredging channels, maintain navigation marks and lights and provide pilotage services as well as administer traffic regulation within the Cattewater Harbour and the remainder of the civil port zone.

At the port, nationally agreed standards for the safety of marine operations are required to be applied with a commitment to both local and international security measures, with the port’s own pilots boarding and guiding vessels with a 24/7 essential safety service, subsequently ensuring that all vessels complete their passage on a safe basis.

The harbour itself covers an expansive coastline, with limits to the east of a line joining the Mountbatten Breakwater to the Fishers Nose, bounded by Sutton Lock Gates to the north and Laira Bridge to the east.

The Harbour Master’s role is to ensure the safety of navigation for all harbour users – whether military warships, cross-channel ferries, UAVs, underwater research vessels, small fishing boats, fuel tankers, large cargo ships, jet skis or paddleboarders – and take preventative measures to avoid incidents.

“We’re responsible for the safety of vessels, people and operations,” explained Captain Richard Allan, CEO and Harbour Master and port facility security officer for the Cattewater Harbour Commissioners. “Necessarily, we need to know what’s happening in the port at all times.”

Effective surveillance coverage

To achieve that aim, a camera system covering the port was deemed to be invaluable, with requirements for total coverage of the water and shoreline, combined with economy, performance and the need for longevity of the camera equipment given that it has to operate in the harsh seaport environment.

In order to bring the project to fruition, Outersight (UK) – itself a ‘hands-on’ consultancy dedicated to delivering innovative technical solutions – was brought on board. Having worked with the Cattewater Harbour Commissioners and 360 Vision Technology on previous projects for over ten years, while also gaining experience of operating alongside universities, Government departments, broadcasters, nature conservation bodies and port authorities – the Cattewater Harbour Commissioners knew that Outersight (UK) would be an ideal fit on this project.

“We’ve worked with 360 Vision Technology on many projects and we’ve always relied on the manufacturer’s surveillance camera experience and technological expertise,” stated Peter Barlow, managing director of Outersight (UK). “It was no different on this project. Right from the start, the team at 360 Vision Technology helped us to demonstrate the advantages of using a network of its Invictus cameras at this particular location.”

The Outersight (UK) team installed a network of 360 Vision Technology’s Invictus cameras around the port to cover the water and shoreline, including cameras located high up on the marker light poles that serve to signal the entrance to the port.

“The camera locations were selected based on the most economical way in which to cover the area required,” continued Barlow. “The flexibility of mounting options and visual performance offered by the Invictus cameras have really paid dividends, allowing us to provide the port with the coverage required at the most economical cost.”

Barlow added: “The fact that we have access to the navigation light towers, which by default have a great view of the water, allied to the brilliant zoom function of the Invictus cameras means that we don’t need many cameras to cover a really large area. By specifying great quality cameras and optimising each camera position, we’ve managed to cover an extensive area with only a small amount of equipment. This affords us a great return on investment and the lowest possible running costs.”

Overseeing operations

The 360 Vision Technology cameras cover the entire harbour area, including Cattewater Berths, the Barbican Landing Stage, the marina areas, slipways and the vast shoreline. They’re located on navigation lights dotted around the estuary and on top of the Harbour Master’s building. All enjoy open aspects to the water for maximum surveillance coverage.

Additionally, the Cattewater Harbour Masters provide the Kings Harbour Master with access to the cameras to oversee operations in the Ministry of Defence dockyard and Plymouth Sound.

360 Vision Technology’s Invictus cameras feature a 32x zoom capability and a five-year guaranteed marine-grade paint: an essential attribute for use given the harbour’s corrosive saline environment. Additionally, several Invictus cameras with a PoE option have been deployed, greatly simplifying installation at the more remote reaches of the system.

“The 32x zoom capability and stable image quality of the Invictus cameras provides wide area coverage and excellent zoomed-in image results,” affirmed Peter Barlow. “This is particularly advantageous for identifying small vessels at a distance, which is an essential requirement at the port.”

Richard Allan stated: “The Invictus cameras have everything we need and at a very competitive price. They’re reliable in the harsh coastal environment, where we must deal with a combination of sea salt, saline air and hot summer sun.”

With essential marine environment features, such as the viewing window wipers and low-light capability, the network of Invictus cameras is capable of alerting the harbour management team to any operational, security or safety situation, allowing them to take action and suppress any situation before it can escalate.

The surveillance system records on a 24/7 basis and video footage can be accessed by the Harbour Master in the Control Room (in addition to authorised duty personnel on-site) thanks to an integration with the Blue Iris VMS.

The optical clarity and zoom capability afforded by the camera network ensures instant visual confirmation, no matter what size of vessel or incident, with members of the harbour management team afforded remote access to the camera network via their phones for instant confirmation of incidents while on the ground or out on the water.

Lower running costs

The low power operation of the Invictus cameras also means lower running costs for the port, as certified by the cameras’ Elexon charge code compliance for the unmetered supply of outdoor powered devices, where electricity consumption is billed at just 30 W per camera deployed.

Organisations operating surveillance systems can achieve power consumption savings of circa 70%. This is a significantly lower power draw versus peer PTZ cameras with generic charge codes, which are typically billed at 100 W.

Using 360 Vision Technology’s Invictus cameras, the Cattewater Harbour Commissioners now preside over an electronic surveillance system that’s reliable, future-proof, rugged, economical and delivers the performance levels required to meet the demanding daily operations of what is a very busy seaport.

“Making things safe and secure for everyone using the port is greatly aided by the surveillance camera system,” affirmed Richard Allan. “The port keeps watch on a wide variety of vessels, including those carrying oil, gas, cattle feed and aggregate, in addition to military warships, cross-channel ferries and underwater research vessels. We also see paddleboarders and jet ski enthusiasts out on the water. Evidential footage from the system provides us with the power to convict irresponsible users, such as jet ski riders who are speeding or those involved in illegal bass fishing at night.”

Allan concluded: “Since the surveillance system’s inception, we’ve been able to solve a wide variety of incidents through the Control Room, all the while keeping members of the public safe, ensuring that shipping adheres to the rules of the port and, importantly, preventing crime.”

*Further information is available online at www.360visiontechnology.com