Eyes in the Forest

A few years back, Mark got the idea from the Washington State border patrol (responsible for controlling the heavily forested border between Washington and British Columbia) to make an infrared camera system that could be deployed anywhere in the field and camoflauged for concealment. 

The initial result of this brainstorm was the "Bertha" IPSS (Integrated Perimeter Surveillance System). The basic setup involves a high-power infrared Matrix IV camera mounted on a Bogen tripod and accompanied with a long-range transmitter/receiver unit. As seen in the pictures, both are already camoflauged appropriately for the environment and can be changed to adapt to different settings (e.g. desert, adobe, urban concrete etc.). 

The second major part of the setup is a mobile C&C (command & control) center. This is composed of four main components: a receiver/transmitter, video monitor, unit controller, and DVR. The monitor, DVR, and controller can all be integrated into a ruggedized briefcase or kept seperate depending on the need. This mobile briefcase configuration is ideal considering the usual application.

One final note: the pictures below show the Matrix IV camera in a fixed "point-and-shoot" configuration, but can easily be substituted with a PTZ like the "Hammerhead."

Check out the pictures below!

"Hammerhead" Eyeing the Inmates

The "Hammerhead" surveillance system has been in some pretty neat places here in the Northwest. Perhaps where it has been best utilized though is at one of the largest prisons in Washington State.

The Hammerheads watch a large part of the prison grounds 24/7 all year round in all weather conditions. Its 360 degree field of view (FOV), infrared illumination for night, and 18x zoom to focus on areas of interest make it a formidable "shark" to help keep prisoners in line. More specifically, the Hammerheads are programmed to monitor traffic running alongside a road just outside the tall prison fence that has provided an opportunity to "drive-by throw overs" of different contraband to eager prisoners on the other side. 

Below are some pictures of the Hammerheads in operation at the prison. Although the Hammerhead doesn't bite, unlike it's seafaring namesake, it leaves a good impression with anyone happening to stare it down as it records your every movement!

Running on Roofs with the RDSS

Being both the brains and the brawn of an operation can be quite taxing, yet when it comes to the IPSS (Integrated Perimeter Surveillance System) and RDSS (Rapid Deployment Surveillance System), it's a labor of love for Mark Strain.

Mark has spent over a decade developing, fine tuning, testing, fielding, and selling different IPSS and RDSS systems. Below is a small sampling of where the IPSS and RDSS have been. Enjoy!