Electrosonic has helped the twin Hindhead Tunnels in Southern England deliver on their promise of roadway efficiency by installing a large overview videowall display and operator consoles in the control room at the tunnels' northern end.
Before the tunnels were opened in July 2011, the main A3 London-to-Portsmouth road in the south of England had suffered from delays as drivers passed through the Hindhead area, which includes a site of special scientific interest and the Devil's Punchbowl beauty spot. Now a four-mile bypass, of which 1.14 miles comprise the twin-bore tunnels, makes the route safer and more efficient.
Working with main contractor Balfour Beatty Engineering Services for the Highways Agency, Electrosonic engineered and installed the videowall plus a series of operator consoles. In the control room, operators can monitor images from 104 cameras and review data supplied by the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, which supervises the lighting, ventilation, incident detection and other support systems.
The Highways Agency wanted the control room to operate in a similar fashion to other traffic control rooms on the major road network, but with the additional stipulation that data relating to non-traffic aspects of the tunnel - such as live CCTV images - be accessible at the same time. Electrosonic devised a solution based on ergonomic operator consoles and a videowall display. Electrosonic produced graphic visualizations to help the client see how the control system would fit in the available space. The finished result corresponds almost exactly to the visualizations.
The videowall features six, 50-inch Planar Clarity Margay II DLP projection cubes arranged in a 3x2 array. The format, along with the cubes' 16:9 aspect ratio, ensures that the maximum amount of information can be displayed in a space with relatively low ceiling height. The cubes give a pixel perfect, near seamless image surface with a total resolution of 5760x2160 pixels while requiring just 18 inches in depth.
An Extron VN-Quantum image processor feeds the display. It is configured to receive 36 video inputs and four computer graphics images. The processor can display any required combination of images, each of which can be any size and positioned anywhere on the display. Multiple pre-sets optimize the display for different situations or monitoring requirements; operators select them at the click of a mouse on the display control computer.
Graphics reach the processor via a standard Ethernet network, but the video inputs are derived from a switching matrix, which is part of the CCTV system.
Electrosonic supplied the mounting frame for the videowall cubes complete with cladding and a base unit outfitted with storage space.
The company also provided electronically-operated "sit-stand" type operator consoles, which allow operators to choose the most comfortable operating height. The SBFI Equinox consoles are equipped with Axiom universal screen mounts.
To ensure many years of reliable service, Electrosonic is providing support service for the next five years through the facility managers, Enterprise Mouchel. The fixed-price support covers lamp replacement, 24/7 emergency call out with a four-hour response time, and routine preventative maintenance.
About Electrosonic
Electrosonic is an international AV company with a strong reputation for working on complex projects, both large and small, and has through its 47 year history developed lasting partnerships with customers and suppliers. Electrosonic brings a unique breadth of experience to each project; backed by solid engineering skills, project management and quality production facilities. Beyond complete integrated systems, Electrosonic can provide a wide range of services including technical design, maintenance and operational support.
Learn more about Electrosonic. Visit http://www.electrosonic.com