Control rooms
Barco is the global market leader in equipping, integrating and connecting control room video wall and collaboration solutions for any market and environment. We have the experience of hundreds of successful installations per year, of virtually any size. This allows us to assist you in identifying your needs, clarifying the requirements, and tailoring an ideal solution. After installation, we continuously support you with a wide range of services. You have the vision; Barco will help you bring it to life!
The importance of data in emergency situations
The key of smart systems is information. The more data is available, the better solutions can be created. However, an abundance of information can also be a challenge. If the information is available but you have no way of processing, it can work counterproductive. For many organizations, this is a source of frustration.
That is why data gathering, distribution and monitoring has become increasingly important. Creating or adapting the infrastructure to the reality of big data is not only a handy tool for critical decision-making, but has become a focus point for many organizations’ operations. There are essentially three steps for the data in this process: gathering and distribution, analysis, and presentation.
Data gathering and distribution
Information can be collected in many different ways. This can be done via sensors, via closed circuit cameras, or any other static equipment. Using a network encoder, the information enters the secure network and can be freely distributed over the globe. On the receiving side, a network decoder simply takes this information from the network for further analysis. Stringent security protocols ensure that only people authorized to collect the data can actually see it.
Barco’s TransForm N networked visualization system enables this data distribution, using a wide range of specialized encoders and decoders.
Data analysis
Once the data is collected, comes the next step: what to do with it? In the past, this information was primarily monitored by humans. However, the rise of intelligent systems (particularly artificial intelligence) makes it possible to analyse much more data than humans can. Computers continuously search for patterns or anomalies in the data, which they then report to the control room operator. This operator then decides to take action or not.
Creating such intelligent systems requires very specific knowledge. That is why Barco works together with the top companies in these fields in a strategic alliance program. The solutions in this program have been intensely tested in the interoperability with the Barco system. By jointly approaching the customers, Barco and its strategic alliance partner can guarantee to offer a complete solution consisting of building blocks that work smoothly together. This gives the customer the needed peace of mind.
Social media information is becoming increasingly more important in control rooms. In many cases, these messages provide valuable information in real-time, at locations where there are no cameras or sensors. These ‘additional eyes’ allow the emergency services to get a better situational overview. That is why they are also monitored in the control rooms, in many cases by humans assisted with AI.
Data visualization
The information needs to be presented to the stakeholders (operators, management, field workers) in a smooth and clear way. This can be done on a control room video wall, the monitors on the desks of the operators, or even portable devices like smartphones and tablets.
Barco’s wide range of video wall solutions span every technology: LCD, LED rear projection, Laser rear-projection, and Direct View LED. Our products excel in reliability and image quality, and have been used in thousands of control rooms around the world. New inventions, including RGB Laser rear-projection cubes and the bezel-less LCD video wall Barco UniSee, give us an important edge over the competition.
What’s more, the unique Barco OpSpace, the first operator workspace solution tailored to the operator, enables a more efficient workflow. The operator is able to access information from many disparate secure networks in one environment, spanning multiple displays on his desk.
Barco, enabler of a smarter tomorrow
Barco, as a leading provider of visualization and networked distribution solutions, is therefore an enabler for a smarter tomorrow. From traffic management, over security and telecom, to utilities and process control systems, Barco provides the necessary building blocks for a highly reliable control room visualization system. Combining databases and sensor information from many different players will therefore help create a better understanding of the situation at a given moment.
The right perspective on image and data management
Our networked visualization system takes care of the real-time distribution of information. Any amount of data can be transferred from any location, over any distance, to be displayed on any screen. The system’s enormous flexibility even allows sharing of information over separate private networks, so that for example the police and the hospitals can share the information they want in a safe way. This encourages collaboration of different departments and public services, and adds to total system intelligence.