Drones: friend or foe?
Drones are hot.
They come in all sizes and price ranges and are used for private and observation purposes.
By individuals, companies, governments, but (unfortunately) also by criminals and terrorists. Since time immemorial, towers and lookouts on hills and mountains have been used to get an optimal view of the (defense) area.
Later came zeppelins and hot air balloons.
At the beginning of the last century, aircraft were used for the first time during wars.
First to explore, later also to fight.
By the end of the First World War, the role of military aircraft had changed from that of a ‘helper’ to the ground forces to that of an important armed force in its own right.
Warfare in 2D became a 3D battlefield with the advent of airplanes.
And now there’s the drone.
This is also used for military purposes; to reconnoiter and to attack (especially to take out targets in a very targeted way).
Drones can also be used to secure civilian objects.
For example, to explore the situation after an alarm notification by mapping the surroundings of the alarm position.
Or by carrying out surveillance.
The advantages of this modern aerial reconnaissance are clear: quick to deploy, quick on location, searching a large area in a short time and not immediately noticeable from the ground.
In addition, you have the opportunity to see behind objects from the air.
Incidentally, it is not so much the images from this aerial reconnaissance that are interesting, but mainly the information that can be obtained from linking these images with information from other sources, such as fire detection, alarm verification and emergency calls.
By linking information from carefully selected sources, a so-called Common Operational Picture (COP) can be created.
This gives the control room a clear picture of the situation on site and allows a situation (e.g. an emergency) to be handled efficiently with the most suitable, available resources.
Drone deployment
A drone can be used manually in the event of an alarm.
As soon as an alarm is received, it is assessed whether it makes sense to use a drone to explore the situation.
If that is the case, an available (certified) ground pilot will be called up.
He is then instructed with regard to the alarm location and the pilot can be seen on his screen to assess the situation on site.
It goes without saying that a lot of valuable time is lost with this method.
PSIM waypoints drone
It is much more efficient when the drone is integrated into the security systems of a location.
A PSIM (Physical Security Information Management) system can automatically perform determined, predefined follow-up actions based on a situation (alarms or observations).
For example, sending out one or more drones for a reconnaissance flight.
Some PSIMs, such as IPSecurity Center, are already set up for a drone deployment and translate the X/Y coordinates of the alarm location into a flight plan for the drone(s).
As soon as the drone is in the target area, it transmits the (thermal) camera images and certain (meta)data via the Video Management System to the PSIM for processing.
During the action, the operator gets a good picture of the situation on site with the help of the images and data.
Depending on the situation and the capabilities of the drone, an intruder can then be tracked automatically.
An important advantage of this automated approach, in addition to saving time, is the fact that the flight plan is tailored to the location and that dangerous flight situations are thus prevented.
In addition, all operations, the entire flight, the images and the sensor information are recorded in the PSIM.
This is important for evaluation purposes and to use audit trails to demonstrate that the right action has been taken.
3D protection
The arrival of the drone therefore offers many new opportunities, but also threats.
Drones can be deployed to reconnoitre, attack, and defend.
As part of a security system, as a tool to create situational awareness and as a weapon.
Drones are not bothered by fencing or inaccessible floors, they fly over guards and stay out of sight of security cameras, which are usually not aimed at the sky.
Drones pose a threat from the air and if we want to adequately protect ourselves against them, we will have to use a 3D security approach.
At the moment, the use of drones is subject to rules of security and privacy, which limits their use as a means of security.
Due to the increasing threats, this is expected to change in the near future, allowing drones to be used more often and more effectively.
Internationally, there are already several situations in which an exemption has been granted to use drones.