The Silent Sentinel Oculus camera oversees Britain’s busiest motorways with P&D
P&D: protecting Britain’s highways
Specialists in electrical and civil engineering, P&D support the UK’s rail infrastructure, highways, power distribution, and major tunnel projects. Focussing on safety, great workmanship and delivering on its promise, there’s no margin for error; it has to be quality first time, on time.
Undertaking a significant project with AMG Systems to relieve congestion along the M1, M3, M60 and M62 highways, P&D needed to deliver a real-time overview of the 99 kilometre stretch of works, linking all images back to a 24/7 manned control room.
P&D faced challenges with its previous CCTV camera supplier; the cameras weren’t reliable as the pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) kept wearing out. It meant the company was failing to deliver on its promise of quality and unable to provide images that were clear and actionable. Furthermore, a poor relationship meant the camera supplier was reluctant to honour warranties. P&D needed a new supplier it could trust.
Silent Sentinel: a trusted and respected partner
Choosing Silent Sentinel enabled P&D to create a partnership that worked well to deliver the best possible solution for its customers. Speaking of the partnership, P&D Managing Director, Pat Musgrave, commented:
“We have a great working relationship with Silent Sentinel, which is built on trust and respect. As a UK-based organisation, Silent Sentinel is able to respond quicker than our previous supplier to ensure any issues are resolved properly, and they genuinely care about working with us to deliver quality solutions first-time, on time.”
Oculus: a rugged PTZ camera with HD or SD video options
Initially, Silent Sentinel has deployed over 300 cameras:
- M1: 78 cameras deployed between J15 and J19
- M3: 109 camera deployed between J2 and J4a
- M60/M62: 142 cameras over 35km stretch of road as part of Manchester ‘smart motorways scheme’.
However, the project is ongoing as more sections of highway are being added to help improve the flow of traffic on our roads and relieve rush hour congestion.
A compact, rugged, vandal-resistant unit that has been specifically designed for harsh and challenging environments, the Oculus is a high-speed continuous rotation PTZ camera that can provide analogue, HD-SDI and IP video outputs.
Everything is integrated into a single unit, which is fully housed within a hard anodised aluminium casing. Toughened, optically correct glass provides clear images and can be kept clean at all times with its compact wiper. Plus, optical encoders for both the pan and tilt axis provide highly accurate positioning and repeatability, with a self-correction system that counteracts any external interference with the moving head.
Oculus in the spotlight:
- SD video with 10x, 18x, 28x, 36x and 40x optical zoom options
- HD video with 20x and 30x optical zoom options
- Ruggedised for extreme environments
- Day/night operation
- Optical encoders for accurate positioning and repeatability
- Optional heater for reliable operation down to -40°C
- Flat, toughened glass window
- Protected to IP67 (IP68 option)
- 316L stainless steel option
- Built-in camera lens wiper
- Pre-sets, tours and privacy masking
- Multiple control protocols
A robust, reliable, quality and cost-effective solution
Commenting on the project, Pat Musgrave said, “Silent Sentinel provided us with a better, more cost-effective solution, with longer warranties at a good price. Protecting the UK’s highways is crucial, with no margin for error, and Silent Sentinel helped deliver the quality needed to ensure the project was a success.
“In particular, image quality was vital to ensure the team working in the control room has clear, detailed visuals on what’s happening out on the highways. With 28x zoom, the Oculus provided this clarity with ease. Overall, a robust, reliable, quality and cost-effective solution.”
Silent Sentinel: vision & motion control
Silent Sentinel design and develop specialist surveillance platforms, including long-range detection platforms and ancillary equipment. With over 30 years’ experience in camera design and manufacturing, surveillance technology, vision, detection, protection and security are in its DNA.
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