How One IDIS Surveillance Camera Keeps an Eye on a Volatile Volcano
The IDIS 8MP 31x IR p/t/z camera captures footage from nine miles away, allowing for viewing online by emergency agencies, scientists and residents.
COPPELL, Texas — Surveillance cameras can be used for more than just security applications. We’ve seen them utilized for everything from providing checkout-free shopping, to monitoring polar bears.
The latest unique application comes courtesy of the Volcan de Fuego project in Guatemala, which has deployed an IDIS camera to keep an eye on what is said to be one of the world’s most active and dangerous volcanoes.
Continual live footage of the “Volcan de Fuego” is being captured by IDIS’ 8MP 31x IR p/t/z camera to be viewed online by emergency agencies, scientists and residents.
The 8MP camera is delivering ultra-high definition, full day and night surveillance of the active caldera from over nine miles away, showing sudden gas and ash eruptions as often as every 15 to 20 minutes.
In June 2018 nearly 200 people were killed on Volcan de Fuego during a series of explosions and pyroclastic flows which left little evacuation time. This was the volcano’s most powerful eruption since 1974 and its deadliest since 1929 but was far from an isolated incident.
More than 60 major eruptions have been recorded over the last five centuries — and with 54,000 people living on the fertile farmlands within six miles of the crater, the risk remains high.
The continual video monitoring, alongside data from sensors including seismology and gas detectors, now aims to protect vulnerable communities living around the volcano by giving early warning.
The H.265 IR DC-S3883HRX camera, which features an 8MP, auto focus and 31x optical zoom lens, IR performance up to 200m, and an auto-return positioning sensor, was installed by IDIS, its partner EPCOM and Guatemalan telecommunications specialist Crelosa.
The model benefits from true, one-click plug-and-play set up, making it ideal for hassle-free installation at height, in challenging environments, and in locations where engineers are exposed to increased risk, according to the company.
The IDIS camera also features true wide dynamic range (WDR )for changing lighting conditions and electronic image stabilization (EIS) ensuring images from the volcano remain crisp and sharp.
IDIS says the camera also remains stable despite the region’s variable weather conditions including under strong sun, and when temperatures fall sharply at night. The water droplet wiper proves essential during the rainy season.
Smart failover and IDIS’ Ultimate Warranty provides Crelosa and the Volcan de Fuego monitoring agencies peace of mind that the camera will continue to deliver video in one of the world’s most dramatic settings.
You can view footage of the volcano in the video below.
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