SmartScout

Sensor based command and control support in public safety and security operations

Aims

SmartScout is as holistic system approach for command and control support in public safety and security operations which integrates and processes information generated from mainly mobile sensor platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles by using intelligent analysis techniques.

Brief Description

Organizations operating in the field of public safety and security are currently facing the challenge that, their tasks are massively increasing – both in terms of range and in terms of intensity. Examples include the management of large scale public events, operations in geographically exposed and remote areas such as alpine regions or most recently the cross-border streams of refugees and border security in general. In coping with these scenarios ICT-based information services and its components play an essential role within the operations of the responding organizations. Currently individual, often fairly sophisticated, solutions in the fields of sensors, data transmission, data analysis, and data representation applicable to the public safety and security are lacking the indispensable integration of individual system components to a holistic, integrated structure. Especially for the described scenarios, there is a strong need for efficient and affordable information and communication services built on such integrated system-of-systems architectures. The SmartScout project is aiming at designing a whole-system approach regarding the processing and analysis of sensor-data-based information which will be further integrated into the command and control processes in public safety and security operations. The sensor data might be retrieved from either stationary or mobile platforms (such as unmanned aerial vehicles – UAVs). In this context sensor data can be image information, video material, thermal imaging or any other content. Based on a thorough and deepened understanding of the specific needs and structures of the above mentioned mission scenarios and of individual technologies and technological approaches from the fields of remote sensing, sensor systems, image analysis, image processing, spatial data analysis and ICT-systems an integrated, homogenous system approach will be followed. The purpose of the SmartScout system is to provide customized information services to facilitate an optimal mission execution.