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Overcoming the Obstacles in Outdoor Detection
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 The Role of Outdoor Detectors
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Outdoor detectors act as the first line of defence in assuring security by detecting intruders while they are still outside - and either scaring them away, or preventing them from gaining access to the people and valuables inside. Outdoor detectors can be an important element in a comprehensive security system, or, they can act alone as the sole source of protection. They are also ideal for sites covering large areas, or for multiple geographically distributed sites, where the cost of employing perimeter guards would be prohibitive.
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The Unique Challenges of the Outdoor Environment
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The challenges of securing outdoor areas are very different from the challenges posed by indoor security conditions. Indoor environments are controlled; their walls, partitioned areas, and doors enable the relatively easy detection of intruders and management of traffic. The outdoor environment, on the other hand, is unstable, uncontrolled, and unpredictable, making outdoor detection much more complex. This leads to the widespread problem associated with outdoor detectors - their typically high false alarm rates.
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The high false alarm rate exhibited by most outdoor detectors stems from the technological difficulties posed by the environment. Outdoor detectors must take into account a wide range of constantly changing parameters, including environmental conditions such as temperature, clouds, shade patterns, wind, rain, and snow, as well as vehicle traffic, moving and swaying objects, pets and animals, varying terrain, and the differing speeds at which various materials heat up and cool down. Despite the ongoing, unpredictable variations in external conditions, outdoor systems must maintain high levels of detection while causing minimum false alarms.
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A History of Unsatisfactory Attempts
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Until now, there has been no completely satisfactory solution for outdoor volumetric detection. A number of technologies and products are available in the market, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, but so far, none has proven to offer a high level of reliable detection together with the freedom from false alarms. CCTV cameras have become an important part of many outdoor security systems, helping to verify whether alarms reported by outdoor detectors were triggered by actual intrusions, or only by nuisances that do not require a response. However, cameras alone do not solve the nuisance of false alarms in outdoor settings.
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Rokonet Empowers Outdoor Security with WatchOUT
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In response to the critical need expressed by its worldwide customer base, Rokonet has developed an unprecedented set of new PIR and Microwave technologies to meet the challenges - and solve the problems - of outdoor volumetric detection. Though all detectors are a compromise between Catch Performance and False Alarm Immunity, Rokonet has succeeded in creating a Selective Event Recognition capability that weeds out false alarms in external environments, while assuring the highest level of detection reliability. Based on a combination of cutting-edge technologies, Rokonet has created the new WatchOUT family of products - the only outdoor detectors with BOTH 2 MW AND 2 PIR channels - offering the first real answer to the challenge of outdoor security … assuring exceptionally high catch levels and false alarm immunity!
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The Technologies behind WatchOUT
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Sway Recognition Technology
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This trend-setting Microwave technology recognizes and excludes objects that sway and move only a limited distance - including the often-troublesome swaying and tree limbs which are so common in outdoor environments. Based on the Doppler effect of 2 MW channels, Sway Recognition Technology differentiates between and subtracts the Doppler pulses of forward from backward moving targets, measuring the NET moving distance ONLY. This enables the automatic exclusion of objects that sway or move only a short Net distance … thus preventing false alarms … solving the problem that has plagued outdoor detection for decades.
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Digital Correlation Technology
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Enabled by 2 PIR channels, this unique technology was specially developed for Rokonet's WatchOUT outdoor detector family. Based on a revolutionary new design, two independent optical channels with separate lenses create a vertically interlacing detection pattern. Two separate areas in close physical proximity are checked simultaneously. In order to be treated as a potential threat - and set off an alarm - a target must generate a similar signal in both optical channels at the same time, which will then be correlated to determine whether or not they have the same pattern in both channels. This breakthrough technology eliminates false alarms caused by pets and rapid temperature changes. Rokonet's Digital Correlation Technology assures reliable outdoor pet immunity, since, due to their small size, pets cannot be in both PIR detection channels at the same time. In addition, this represents a significant improvement over conventional detectors, which often cause false alarms when unrelated events with different signal patterns occur in each of the PIR channels (e.g., a pet in one channel and a swaying bush in the other).
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Additional Advantages of the WatchOUT Family
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Unique Installation Flexibility
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The WatchOUT family of outdoor detectors offers an unprecedented level of installation flexibility. Beyond the standard swivel included with each WatchOUT detector, Rokonet also supplies a full range of optional swivels to match every type of external environment. Among the options are barrier swivels (enabling easy installations parallel to walls), conduit adaptors (enabling protection of wires, and professional and aesthetic installations) and pole adaptors (enabling installation on fence poles). Additional flexibility is assured by a mounting height range of 1.0 - 2.7 m.
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Rokonet's outdoor detectors also offer a camera option, allowing use of event-driven CCTV for viewing the intruder and enabling rapid intervention as well as the initiation of video recording. The WatchOUT line includes a convenient space for inclusion of high definition colour cameras, with either wide-angle or long-range lenses. This option is the ideal solution for applications with limited budgets, since it is significantly less costly than the installation of a separate weatherproof camera, or when there is no need for expensive dome or pan-and-tilt cameras. An additional benefit is the relatively concealed camera.
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Rokonet's sophisticated outdoor detectors assure the highest level of security. Among the many high security features are anti-mask, which is enabled by four active IR channels that protect the lens from masking (DT model, only). The WatchOUT line has an IP65 environmental rating. All swivels have wall anti-tamper and anti-vandal wire protection. The DT model offers a 'Dirty Lens' alert. A sturdy hood protects the detector from sun, rain, snow, hail and bird droppings.
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Remote Control and Diagnostics via the ProSYS Integrated System
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When connected to Rokonet's advanced ProSYS integrated security systems, WatchOUT allows the remote control of all detector settings as well as advanced remote diagnostics, from keypads or Upload/Download software. Remote Control capabilities include: LED controls, PIR and MW sensitivity, AND/OR alarm logic, and wide-angle or long-range lens sensitivity settings. Remote Diagnostic capabilities include: voltage input to the detector, signal and noise level for each PIR and MW channel, and software version.
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