Mobile buggy equipped with CCTV cameras  (Photo by Dallmeier electronic)

Organizers of a hole in one golf competition touring courses in Portugal were using mobile CCTV mounted on golf buggies to validate competitors attempts to achieve a hole in one Mobile surveillance specialists, CRD Synergy Ltd., developed the concept using Dallmeiers networked digital recorders.  Game adjudicators based in the UK viewed the images remotely over the Internet in order to validate a competitors prize claim.

To play the game a competitor purchases a ticket in the clubhouse, which is then registered by a ticket machine on the tee.  Registering the ticket triggers recording by the digital recorder securely located in the golf buggy.  Wireless technology links the ticket machine on the tee with the buggy on the fairway and with the onsite server in the clubhouse.  The buggy is situated halfway down the fairway so that its cameras can see the complete hole from tee to green.

On board the golf buggy are four PTZ domes on pump-up 5m masts.  PTZ control is via a drag pad unit in the front of the buggy, which also features a 7" LCD screen for configuring the domes.  A steel lockable cabinet in the front passenger footwell accommodates the power supply, GPS transmission unit, waireless network and Dallmeier digital recorder (M-DMS 4).

Jonathan Nash, Operations Director for CRD Synergy Ltd., believes there are many other applications for this type of small, maneuverable mobile CCTV unit, "Mobile CCTV is often equated with adapted transit vans but there are numerous applications where our smaller and more flexible wireless mobile units would prove a more cost-effective solution.  Outdoor public events in particular are a nightmare to provide surveillance cover for.  Small wireless mobile units eliminate all the health and safety problems and costs associated with hardwiring a large public event, and the small buggies take up much less room than a transit van.  This can prove invaluable at entrances and in car parks or in the middle of large crowds."

A full audit trail covering tickets issued and swiped (including invalid tickets) is provided by the onsite server, which also has the capacity to produce daily log reports.  All data is available remotely over a standard Internet connection. 

For the golf competition video coverage was provided of the tee, equipment cabinet, fair way & green by three high-resolution color/mono cameras and one high-resolution monochrome camera. 

The three color/mono cameras provide seven dayss recording of all hole in one competition shots.  The system records for a predetermined time unless a credit is received within the time where the recording period will start again.  The monochrome camera is positioned to view the equipment cabinet and record whenever motion detection is identified around the cabinet.  A magnetic contact is also fitted to the cabinet doors to activate an alarm to the ticketing system when opened.