Ricardo Tormo Circuit improves race management efficiency and track safety with help from Hikvision

HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ricardo Tormo Circuit, one of Spain's most renowned and prestigious motor racing tracks, implemented Hikvision's artificial intelligence-enabled DeepinView cameras and wide-angle PTZ cameras to ensure track safety and manage races more efficiently.

The challenge: Ensuring track safety and fair play for a risky sport at a large venue

Motor racing is a high-risk sport. Amid all the excitement surrounding the event lies an inherent danger that could harm everyone involved – drivers, marshals, and even spectators. With the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's requirements on track safety steadily increasing, Circuit Ricardo Tormo, located in Cheste, Spain, decided to overhaul its existing raceway video system which had become outdated in its detection of unsafe driving and inspection of breaches. To upgrade its race management system, Circuit Ricardo Tormo needed to replace legacy cameras with advanced, high-precision cameras that capture vehicles at speeds over 300 kilometers per hour, and to do so with maximum sharpness and without "trails" which are false 'shadow' of the cars, due to the fast moving action.

In addition, it was essential that the cameras are able to capture all activities at any point on the circuit, both on the track and its surroundings, as well as in the pit areas. A recent host of the official Ferrari Challenge championship, the Ricardo Tormo Circuit covers a total of 1.5 million square meters and boasts an impressive capacity of 120,000 spectators, 60,000 of which are seated. With such an expansive area and enormous crowds, eliminating blind spots to ensure complete coverage of the entire site was another challenge for the circuit.

Moreover, the overhaul had to be completed before the Grand Prix Motorcycle World Championship took place, which was only one month away at the time. To achieve their goal, Ricardo Tormo Circuit collaborated with Hikvision and Portillo Telecomunicaciones, a system integrator. Working together closely, the two companies ensured that the implementation was completed on time, and all the circuit's needs were addressed.

The solution: Hikvision's wide-angle and artificial intelligence-enabled cameras

To cover expansive areas, dozens of 2 MP IP PTZ Cameras (DS-2DF6A236X-AEL) were installed at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. These cameras feature rapid pan and tilt speeds and an expansive 360-degree field-of-view with quick and accurate focusing. With these, staff can zoom in on an object in the far distance while ensuring clarity in the details. The cameras are also equipped with DarkFighter and rapid focus technologies, which provide high quality video imaging in very low light conditions.

To address the difficulties in detecting abuses of track limits – the boundary lines on the circuit that specify the areas on the track where drivers are permitted – 2 MP DeepinView ANPR Moto Varifocal Box Cameras (DS-2CD7026G0) are installed. These cameras capture 60 images per second (60 fps) and feature a 12-50 mm lens with DC auto-iris for precise long-distance focusing, which make them capable of keeping up with the motorcycles' speeds, accurately detecting track limit-breaching when it occurs.

To improve track safety, the race management team guided the artificial intelligence enabled DeepinView cameras in "learning" various object and activity classifications, and to give warnings when detecting aberrant activity. In the event of an accident, Mobile Outdoor Dome Network Cameras (DS-2XM6522G0-I) which have been specially designed for portable video are used by the mobile units to record rescue operations.

In addition to the cameras, an LCD wall made of twelve 55-inch LCD screens was implemented to visualize data and display video footage. Hikvision's HikCentral Professional video management software platform was used for central management, information sharing, convenient connection, and multi-service cooperation.

The benefits: Safer tracks and improved race management

Race track safety has been significantly improved since the Hikvision products were installed. Enabled with deep learning capabilities, the DeepinView cameras easily identify aberrant activities such as vehicles moving in opposite directions, personnel straying into unauthorized areas, foreign objects on the race track, stalled vehicles, and more; and trigger automated warnings. Additionally, staff can easily zoom in on the scene of an accident using the PTZ cameras, view close-ups with high-definition detail, and provide the rescue team critical information.

The Hikvision solution has also made race management easier and more efficient in general. With the PTZ cameras' precise long-distance focusing capability and quick pan-and-tilt mechanism, staff can monitor the whole circuit for overall situational awareness and zoom in on specific incidents when necessary. The cameras' high framerate enables raceway managers to capture the exact movements of a motorcycle, no matter how fast it is moving. Therefore, violations of on-track rules, such as abusing track limits, moving under braking, overtaking at no overtaking zone, etc., are detected much more easily. Therefore, decisions on penalties can be made more quickly and accurately. With the huge 600-inch LCD wall, the staff can keep an eye on multiple race tracks at the same time, and get the most out of the available information on one large screen, and thus manage races on a whole new level of safety and efficiency.

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