Tenerife North Airport trusts in Dallmeier video technology

Thanks to the installation of multifocal cameras Panometer from the German manufacturer Dallmeier, this important Canary Islands airport has significantly improved its operational security measures by monitoring the entire movement area.

He Tenerife North-Ciudad de la Laguna Airport (TFN), situado a unos 10 Km. to the west of the island capital of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the municipality of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, it mainly operates domestic flights, with connections to the rest of the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, with Madrid-Barajas being the most important destination airport.

To further increase operational security at Tenerife North-Ciudad de la Laguna Airport and continue optimizing its operation, it was necessary to provide broad coverage of the entire movement area with advanced technology.

With that objective, a terms of reference was drafted specifying the installation of a high-resolution monitoring and control system for the detection, supervision and recording of operations in that area.

The entire area to be supervised, including the runway (prioritizing both thresholds), apron, taxiways and service roads, it involved a huge surface area. The biggest challenge was that poles could not be freely erected in the movement area for the installation of the cameras, but the existing buildings had to be used as installation points.

“Queríamos mantener el número de puntos de instalación y de sistemas de cámara lo más reducido posible para evitar infraestructura adicional, como mástiles, cabling, interfaces de comunicación, etc. y facilitar los procesos de mantenimiento después”, explains Carlos Jesús Delgado Gómez, jefe de gabinete de dirección de TFN y director del expediente.

A ello se añadía que, al tratarse de un aeropuerto, “existen normas estrictas para cualquier tipo de instalación, especialmente en el área de movimiento. For that reason, las opciones a la hora de definir las ubicaciones de instalación eran muy limitadas -continua Delgado-. A pesar de ello, el área de interés debía monitorizarse con la máxima resolución, al igual que la grabación”.

Alcanzar de manera satisfactoria una cobertura de estas inmensas áreas con una resolución alta y bajo dichas condiciones -número mínimo de puntos de instalación y sistemas de cámaras- no era posible con cámaras de un solo sensor convencionales. For this reason, TFN optó por el uso de la patentada tecnología de sensores multifocal Panomera from the German manufacturer Dallmeier.

Máxima resolución a grandes distancias

Mediante la combinación de varios objetivos y sensores con diferentes distancias focales en una unidad óptica, la tecnología de sensores multifocal ofrece una alta resolución por todo el espacio de objeto.

Thanks to it, es posible captar claramente también objetos muy alejados y se necesitan en conjunto menos sistemas que con una solución convencional basada en cámaras de un solo sensor.

We were able to install Panomera without complications on the facades and roofs of the existing buildings -Delgado clarifies-. No other camera system was able to cover those gigantic areas with so few units and camera installation points with this high resolution.

The installed video technology not only serves for increased operational security, but also allows optimizing operational processes and resolving disputes quickly and safely.

One of the monitored areas is the platform where aircraft park and are prepared for their next flight. Since every minute of parking means money for the airlines, disputes repeatedly arise over who is responsible for delays and the additional costs caused by them.

Claims management can also be carried out quickly and objectively thanks to video footage. For example, Did the damage to the airplane occur at the time of parking or docking the jet bridge, or did it already exist before?

Advantage of multi-user capability

In addition to covering large areas, multifocal sensor technology stands out for its multi-user capability. Panomera works as a virtual combination of an unlimited number of PTZ cameras, with the advantage that the operator moves through the image virtually and does not mechanically alter the device as in systems of this type.

Thus, any number of operators can simultaneously view the video images and zoom in on the area of their interest. However, unlike conventional PTZ cameras, the entire scene is always recorded.

since multiple users need to access the live stream simultaneously, are operating capability in multicast has also been an important advantage for the airport of the Panomera solution.

The ability to multicast permite la transmit data from a single source to different recipients at the same time, which means that the video stream can be efficiently distributed to multiple devices or users without the need to send the data repeatedly, thus reducing network load and optimizing bandwidth usage.

3D simulation of the project

The entire project was planned by Dallmeier with the help of a 3D simulation, as well as preconfigured and examined according to the client's specifications at the FAT center itself (Factory Acceptance Testing center) of the company.

The so-called CamCards, created by Dallmeier's 3D team, facilitated the local installer's assembly, as they show exactly where and at what angle each Panomera camera is installed.

Besides, he Mountera mounting system has also proven its effectiveness, as noted by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Domínguez, project manager of Cobra Installaciones y Servicios, Canary Islands branch, the company installing the project.

'The biggest challenge as an installer was the high humidity and salinity given the island location'. For that reason, we had to work with sturdy and stainless steel poles and mounts for the cameras. The assembly of the Panomera cameras themselves, with Mountera accessories (wall mount and pole adapter) was very easy.

The video system has met expectations and Tenerife North-Ciudad de la Laguna Airport is satisfied with its choice, together with the support during the project. We are very grateful for the attention and solution-oriented support that Dallmeier Spain has provided us throughout the process, especially during the implementation, notes Delgado.

With the Dallmeier solution, composed of cameras, recording servers and video management system, Tenerife North-Ciudad de la Laguna Airport is also well prepared for the future, ya que se trata de una solución modular que se puede ampliar y adaptar a nuevas necesidades en cualquier momento sin problemas.