Long-range, thermal and wide-area surveillance cameras

The technologies, and what each one is for

• Long-range PTZ cameras with high optical zoom and laser infrared, to recognise and follow a target at distance, day and night.
• Thermal cameras, fixed or PTZ, that detect people and vehicles by heat in total darkness, dust and light fog, often paired with a visible camera in one dual-sensor unit.
• Rotating panoramic thermal sensors that scan 360° continuously and raise an alert for anything that moves across a very wide area.
• LiDAR and radar, which locate a moving object precisely and steer a PTZ camera onto it automatically.

Most wide-area sites combine two layers: a sensor that detects everywhere, and a camera that looks closely at what was detected.

Range is a calculation, not a brochure figure

How far a camera "sees" depends on the job. Detecting that something is there needs few pixels on the target; recognising a person or a vehicle needs more; identifying needs many more. We calculate detection, recognition and identification distances for the lens and sensor against the real target size, and state them for your site in clear air and in typical dust and heat haze.

Mast, power and the Saudi environment

At long focal lengths, a mast that sways a few millimetres ruins the image, so the mast and foundation are engineered with the camera. We allow for heat haze over hot ground, dust, sun load on housings, lightning protection and the power source, which at remote points is often a solar system sized for the full load. See our mobile units and solar-powered poles.