Safer cities thanks to 5G and AI

Cities are facing complex security challenges. That’s why Securitas, Orange Belgium and Robovision joined forces for the research project “A smart city is a safe city”. With the support of the federal government, this project aims to explore how 5G and AI can contribute to a safer society.

The research project dovetails perfectly with Securitas’ remote-first approach. The company combines surveillance services with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). Peter Vermaelen, Senior Project Manager at Securitas Technology Belgium, explains this approach. “Over 90% of Securitas employees worldwide are security officers. We want to support them with technology to make their work safer. The combination of 5G with AI creates a host of new opportunities for us.”

Security challenges in urban environments

The research consists of three pilot projects, one of which combines 5G and AI to analyse video images. “We are exploring how we can use images from mobile cameras to detect fights and illegal dumping and gain insight into large crowds,” says Vermaelen. “Thanks to 5G, we can move from intermittent to continuous camera surveillance. Combining this with the AI models of our partner Robovision enables us to instantly detect suspicious situations and respond faster. For instance, an operator can receive a notification of a fight before it escalates so that officers can be dispatched on time. We shift from being reactive to being proactive.”

A second project explores the potential of 5G as an alternative for critical push-to-talk communications. “Emergency services and police should always be able to communicate in emergency situations, even if lots of people at a festival or a football match are using their phones or sending videos, for example,” Vermaelen explains. “A 5G slice gives us a private network with guaranteed bandwidth and low latency. At the press of a button, this network enables conversations between first responders in any emergency situation. And with push-to-x, they can also transmit data such as images and maps.”

The third project uses 5G to stream images from dashcams and bodycams worn by police officers. Vermaelen explains that bodycam footage made by police officers is currently only used after the fact: “With 5G, they can stream images to the command centre or other teams in the field while they are patrolling. This allows recipients to assess the situation immediately, resulting in better coordination and faster response.”

Guarantees with a 5G slice

5G is crucial in all three projects because the users have access to their own 5G slice. Vermaelen reiterates how important this is: “Security is obviously a top priority to us. We manage the security systems of our clients, which requires the utmost care. Therefore we opted for our own slice on the 5G network, with a direct fibre connection between our data centre and that of Orange Belgium.”

The high bandwidth of 5G also plays a key role in all these pilot projects. “Robovision’s AI models run in our data centre and continuously analyse the images the cameras transmit over the network,” Vermaelen continues. “These images must be continuous if suspicious situations are to be detected quickly.”

He looks back on the successful collaboration with Orange: “We were on the same page from day one. Our staff have a great deal of technical expertise in critical communications and radio technologies such as ASTRID. Last year, Orange also provided us with specific and in-depth technical training on 5G. As a result, the implementation and integration between the networks went smoothly.”

At the Orange 5G Lab in Antwerp, Securitas conducted a number of tests to simulate how the applications continue to function under specific circumstances. “Among other things, we tested the transmission of bodycam images while on patrol,” Vermaelen explains. Tests for the dashcams will be carried out shortly. “If a police car is chasing a suspect on the motorway and streaming dashcam footage via 5G, it will have to switch from cell tower to cell tower as it moves from one network cell to the next. This process must go smoothly, without loss of images.”

Potential customers

According to Vermaelen, the research process revealed two areas of concern: “First of all, at the moment only police personnel are authorised to use dashcams and bodycams. Their use for security purposes would also be useful in ambulances or on public transport. Second, we’ve noticed that devices do not yet support the full range of possibilities 5G has to offer. However, the most important conclusion is that this project has taught us quite a bit about the potential of 5G to make society safer. We even have potential customers waiting to implement these projects for their own uses.”