Automatic Security Systems - The way forward in security and monitoring systems

With newer and increasingly grave security threats being discovered every day, it has become very important for us to find out new ways of improving security systems for organisations and residences. Security, as a subject is ever evolving and changing. Being up to date with the latest in technology is of utmost importance in this field. And as we realise that with every new innovation comes a more innovative way to get past it, it becomes all the more important for facilities that are highly sensitive in nature to resort to more automation in security systems. Nowadays, it is very common to come across a boom barrier gate at almost every entry and exit point - be it a highway tool booth, a parking lot, commercial facility, residential housing society or even a school.

Some of the advantages that are offered by automatic security systems are as follows:

·         Elimination of the possibilities and chances  of human error - quite often, it has been noticed that human security guards alone prove ineffective in active monitoring and surveillance; entry and exit screening etc. This has resulted in various technologies like RFID technology which allows entry to only those vehicles which are tagged with the RFID band and thus can be easily monitored.

·        Boom barriers and tripod turnstiles provide more reliable security preventing vehicles/ people from passing through without proper tag identification and/ or payment. They eliminate the changes of guards being persuaded of flouting rules or being caught unawares at the job.

How do the technologies function?

Now let us try and understand the mechanism and the technology of working of these machines:

Turnstile: This is also commonly known as a baffle gate or a turnstyle in various usages, and performs the basic function of allowing only one person entry/ exit at a time. It can be customised to allow only one way entry or exit of people, as can be readily observed at any metro or underground station, where the turnstiles are rigged to move only in one direction.

To activate the turnstile mechanism, one has to either insert a coin(in case of paid systems, it is also sometimes called the fare- gate) or a token, a card or some other form of payment or identification. This is extensively used, in, as mentioned earlier, metro and trains stations, office premises and pay toilets. A tripod turnstile is the most common entry access system in this world, with three prongs which rotate in one or both directions.

Boom Barriers: A boom barrier may also be called the boom gate in several usages. It is essentially a cylindrical bar or a rod that rotates downwards and upwards via pivoting at a fulcrum, thus restricting access of vehicles in and out of a particular area.

Boom weights are basically counterweights that allow the barrier to be raised with ease and thus not be using a motor for every operation. The boom barrier is lowered by a relay or a small motor.