Graphic Image Technologies (GIT) has announced the local availability of FLIR’s industry-first wearable sensor platform, TruWitness.
With its game-changing design, TruWitness brings together video, audio, location data, Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, and cloud and management software in a unified package. This provides security and public safety organisations with all the tools they need to achieve a heightened state of situational awareness.
Ideal for public safety organisations, such as the South African Police Service and private security and events management companies, TruWitness enables on-the-ground, real-time mobile surveillance.
Laurence Smith, executive at GIT, comments. “This is a much-anticipated advancement in technology and the answer to the shortcomings of conventional body-worn cameras, that are easy to tamper with and difficult to manage at scale.”
Capable of being worn on the body or mounted inside vehicles, the TruWitness platform consists of visible-video, audio, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer sensors which work together to send alerts and stream data back to the central command centre in real-time, bringing full situational awareness to event handling.
Thanks to FLIR Neighbor Aware inter-device connectivity, TruWitness has an IoT functionality to trigger nearby TruWitness devices, or fixed and motorised Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) security cameras, and other connected sensors to react to an alarm event through integration with United VMS, FLIR Systems’ Video Management System.
“With the TruWitness platform and connected devices in place, on-the-ground safety officials can stream event video not only to their command centre, but also to nearby law enforcement or emergency medical personnel. TruWitness enables an agile, contextual response to complex situations and evolving threats, as they occur, thanks to full situational visibility,” Smith adds.
Unlike traditional systems that rely solely on stationary cameras, TruWitness and United VMS make it possible to expand coverage to any location where a security incident may occur. Add to this the fact that FLIR offers both visible and thermal sensors for use by city management in security, traffic, and public safety applications, it brings together the ingredients to build smart, connected cities, with United VMS integrating all devices into an all-seeing, unified system.
“Through TruWitness, the video surveillance system’s reach can be extended virtually anywhere, which will – hopefully in the not-so-distant future – empower South African cities with the enhanced real-time situational awareness that is required for the elimination of corruption, the promotion of informed, transparent decision making, which can only ensure a positive outcome for all by better managing shared city resources to increase levels of public safety and civil confidence,” Smith concludes.