FREEDOM TO INTEGRATE
Thales Hypervisor is a new type of supervision solution for a new era. It’s based on the recognition that technology and customer needs constantly move forwards.
So as well as meeting the requirement for increased openness and easier integration, Thales Hypervisor is designed to provide infrastructure operators with a range of important new freedoms – including the freedom to experiment with new types of integration.
And by combining it with Thales’ new training and simulation module, operators have the freedom to construct training programmes of unprecedented realism and effectiveness. The same simulation module is also set to transform the way that operational procedures – and even infrastructure itself – is designed.
“Web HMIs are set to become the standard in industrial systems and we’re investing to ensure we’re in advance of these evolutions”
Olivier Flous
Creative integration
Thales Hypervisor gives operators the ability to make new connections between different applications, something that was always risky and sometimes impossible with earlier systems.
“Metro systems provide an example of the integration that’s already possible” says Olivier Flous, Solution Leader for Thales Hypervisor. “Customers are interested in creating links between train supervision and passenger information systems; the train supervision system knows exactly where the trains are, so it makes sense to share that information with other systems.”
Integration of this sort takes place within the solution’s framework. It’s entirely automatic and requires no human intervention. Another example is the ability to provide a link between fire detection systems and cameras: if heat and smoke are detected, a link between the sensor system and CCTV network directs the nearest cameras to the scene automatically, providing operators with an instant view of the situation when the alarm is raised.
The possibilities are huge, with the potential to create systems that are far more than the sum of their parts.
On metro and urban rail systems, for example, linking smartcard ticketing with train supervision could allow operators to tailor services to real-time passenger demand, while deeper integration of control applications for remote electrical devices could also help to optimise power consumption.
Smart CCTV technology, including video analysis, is likely to play an increasingly important role, measuring everything from the length of queues at airport check-in desks to dangerous crowd build-ups in city streets. And the ability to integrate real-time video with geographical information systems and satellite resource tracking could lead to a transformation in urban security.
A training revolution
The solution’s unique human-machine interface (HMI) provides standardised controls for any application or group of applications. This reduces the costs associated with training operators to deal with a plethora of different interfaces.
But operators still need to be trained to carry out specific functions. And Thales Hypervisor is set to transform this process too, with a revolutionary ability to link training and simulation with the new supervision framework.
“Customers want to be able to train their operators without the constraint of having to stop normal operations” explains Mr. Flous. “Our solution means training and simulation are linked to the framework. Simulation provides all the protocols that are normally used by these applications.”
This means that trainees get the benefit of real-life, real-time training using real equipment and real-life scenarios. In fact, the only difference between the training environment and the real thing is the electronic firewall that separates the simulated world from the real one.
Synthetic environments
The training and simulation module goes far beyond anything else currently available. Not only can it electronically recreate an existing environment, such as a real metro station, it can then fill a platform with passengers – digital people that behave just like real ones.
Like their human counterparts, the virtual people that populate this simulated world avoid bumping into each other. “Their trajectories are not deterministic” observes Mr. Flous. “Their behaviour is based on motivational rules.”
The training and simulation module builds on Thales’ expertise and market leadership in the creation of complex synthetic environments. These include flight simulators, vehicle simulators and military training systems.
New design tools
Simulation has other uses too, emphasises Mr. Flous. “The new training and simulation module not only helps to train operators, but also helps the customer design his system or to assess the procedures that have been developed to see if they are adapted to needs – and it does so without risk.”
From metro stations to airports and even city centres, the capacity to simulate real human behaviour has important implications for the way that infrastructure is designed. The ability to model behaviour, passenger flows and crowd dynamics opens up the possibility of testing and refining new designs while they’re still on the drawing board.
“If you alter a station by adding an escalator or CCTV, or even build a completely new station, you can simulate the environment – and people’s behaviour – before it is built. This is a breakthrough and it’s unique in the market” stresses Mr. Flous.
Security trends
Thales Hypervisor is set to play a major role in the battle to protect supervision systems from cyber attack. “Systems are more and more open, so security is becoming an increasingly important issue” says Mr. Flous.
“With Thales Hypervisor, we secure access to the system with user authentication and we also have the ability to protect data by encrypting communications. Our security offer for is based on a three-level solution, and we adapt the security level to the needs of the customer.”
Future perspectives
Thales Hypervisor already offers a huge range of new functionalities. But keeping pace with customer needs, and anticipating new ones, is a continuing priority for Thales. With the system architecture now firmly established, the focus in on the solution’s human-machine interface – the HMI.
“We predict a growing demand for the integration of electronic mapping and video streams direct to the HMI” says Mr. Flous.
New ways of interacting with the human-machine interface could also be on the horizon. “Web HMIs are set to become the standard in industrial systems and we’re investing to ensure we’re in advance of these evolutions” says Mr. Flous.
“In the near future, we want to make our web HMI accessible through a multiple-point touch screen. You will be able to zoom-in on an image, or a map, using your hands instead of a mouse. The younger generation is already used to interacting with applications this way.”
The idea of integrating this kind of technology in an operation control centre is something new. Critically, it has the potential to add value, without adding risk.
The continuing development of synthetic environments, which allow operators to visualise the world in 3D, also has exciting potential. Today, 3D visualisation technology is limited to controls for CCTV systems – but that could be about to change.
“This would make it possible to visualise a supervision system and to interact with it in 3D, with a real-time representation of all the infrastructure and systems, from fixed equipment, like escalators, to ticketing and traffic management” says Mr. Flous.
“What’s clear is that Thales Hypervisor provides the foundations that will make all of this possible. We have a lot of ideas and there’s massive scope for innovation. It’s not frozen as it is today – it will continue to evolve.”
Discover Thales Hypervisor
To find out more about Thales Hypervisor, visit us at our state-of-the-art security laboratory at Vélizy, near Paris, where we’ve created a unique demonstration environment.
Opened last year by Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission Responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, the facility is Europe’s first dedicated centre for security solutions.
It includes a Security Briefing Centre with a 600m2 demonstration arena that provides a showcase for Thales Hypervisor and the full spectrum of the company’s security solutions.
The centre also provides a collaborative environment where Thales works with customers - including transport businesses, utilities and security agencies - to build the next generation of solutions. As well as working in partnership on site, customers will soon have the ability to collaborate remotely with Thales using IT design tools.
To arrange a visit and to find out how Thales Hypervisor can help your organisation to meet its goals, please email us at: info.3s@thalesgroup.com
THALES' ADVANCED TRAINING AND SIMULATION MODULE
Realistic environments - that recreate the look, feel and functionality of any infrastructure with advanced synthetic environments.
Realistic behaviour - simulation module mimics human behaviour and crowd dynamics using sophisticated algorithms and virtual passengers.
Training - transforms operator and supervisor training with real-world scenarios and access to real operational tools.
Perfecting procedures - allows infrastructure businesses to assess and optimise new procedures in the safety of a virtual world.
Architectural support - whether it’s finding a new position for a CCTV camera or designing a whole new station, Thales’ simulation module is a vital design tool.