System Components

Camera
Cameras may be mounted either on existing structures (eg. telecommunication towers and watch towers) or on specially constructed towers. For example, a camera mounted on a tower 100 metres high can scan an area of up to 5,000km². Rotation speed depends on the distance being scanned (the greater the distance being scanned, the slower the rotation), but for a 20km range a full revolution of 360° takes between 3 to 6 minutes, with the camera resting at each of a series of predetermined positions for up to 6 seconds.*

The high sophistication and flexibility of the ForestWatch software means that optimal results can be obtained using non-specialised, inexpensive cameras. Non-proprietary cameras, could be those displayed below, or can be flexibly integrated with pre-existing camera systems:

PELCO Spectra IV Features multiple back box configurations and three auto focus, high resolution dome drives with programmable software.

PELCO Esprit Combine a receiver, pan/tilt, and enclosure in a single, easy-to-install system, and also include an integrated Optics Package (IOP).

* (maximum distance/area scanned and time taken for rotation by each camera is dependent on various factors, including latitude, camera elevation, and topography)

Power Supply
ForestWatch system cameras are often deployed in isolated areas and require an autonomous power supply. We can offer a wide range of energy solutions and in most cases combine two or more sources to ensure a continuing and reliable energy supply, 24 hours a day.
The ForestWatch system has very small power supply requirements, a crucial factor since constant energy is required to run the system and the lower the energy needs, the more cost efficient and less prone to power problems it is.

Solar Panels The number of solar panels depends on the energy consumption of the camera and its geographical position. In cases of high energy consumption we recommend solar panels with wind generators of at least 500 watts. Both operate with batteries of dry type 200 A/h 12V min. Suggested solar panel: 12V and 165 watts

Wind Generators Depending on our clients' needs and budget we recommend wind generators of at least 500 watts for our systems.

Communication
Data from the cameras is sent live by wireless or wired connection from the camera to a control centre. We recommend a maximum of eight cameras per operator, though you may have many more cameras in a control centre. The control centre operator can manually control each of these cameras, allowing data to be passed in both directions between camera and control centre, but the default setting is automatic rotation and scanning of a pre-determined area. We can offer a number of Communication Solutions to suit the nature of each project and budget, based around these core options:
(i) Wi-Fi communication at a transmission rate capable of providing live two-way communication at a maximum distance of up to 30 kilometres (depending on Wi-Fi card, type of antennae used and weather conditions). Or
(ii) Satellite communication, used to cover regions where network coverage is not an option, ie. particularly isolated areas. This type of data communication requires extra equipment and an agreement with a company that supplies satellite bandwidth.
One of the core strengths of the ForestWatch software is that once it has detected a smoke source it can forward this event, using the internet or even a GPRS phone, to people in the field including fire fighters.

ForestWatch Software
ForestWatch groundbreaking software was developed by Dr Gavin Hough over a period of nearly 10 years. Using motion and time algorithms it compares live images from remote cameras with images from previous rotations to automatically determine the presence of smoke. ForestWatch will automatically create an alarm if smoke is detected, alerting the control room operator and any other operator connected to the web application.
- Up to 8 cameras can be connected to a single ForestWatch processor. Each camera can monitor smoke alarms and identify smoke locations up to 50km away, depending on weather conditions and topography.
- Integrated weather system flags up high temperatures and dry conditions, ie. days when the wildfire risk is at its highest.
- The software has a learning mode to identify regular and "non-threatening" smoke and can make the most of low light features built in the camera. Each camera can also be manually controlled from the control centre.
- Digital elevation data is integrated with other spatial data to identify smoke coordinates from a single camera.
- ForestWatch records all data associated with an incident. Date and time stamped images give a permanent record of the event (in case of litigation). In addition this archived footage is an invaluable tool for both operators and fire authorities for learning about the causes of forest fires and using this information to develop prevention and fire fighting strategies.
- The ForestWatch System also gives a fire control officer the ability to monitor the development of a forest fire incident in real time. This "dynamic firefighting" dramatically enhances the speed and efficiency of both controlling and fire fighting activities.
- Post-sales technical support guarantees service and maintenance across the world.



Desktop Computer
A high-end off the shelf desktop PC equipped with a network card and Windows operating system is used. Image processing is computationally intensive so fast processors and lots of RAM memory is recommended. While ForestWatch software can be tailored to clients' requirements, our recommended specification is:
- Processor Type: AMD or Intel Processor, Core 2 Duo, 1.8GHz or above
- RAM: 2GB DDR2-800
- Hard Disk: 300 GB (7200rpm, 16 MB Cache, SATA 2)
- Graphics Card: nVidia card/s with 4 outputs (1 x quadro or 2 x dual)
- External Monitor: 4 x Min 17 inch
- UPS: 3000 VA
- Switching Hub: 10 port gigabit
- Operating System: Windows XP Pro English/2000 NT (MS Vista version currently in development)