KAUST, located in the Red Sea coastal region of Thuwal, is the realization of King Abdullah's vision to create an international, graduate-level research university in the Saudi Kingdom. Its harsh desert climate, large campus perimeter and waterside location created a unique outdoor security challenge for the university.

"The university needed to provide 24-hour video surveillance of the perimeter with automatic intrusion detection," commented Ousama Kabbani, Abdulla Fouad's Industrial Security & Safety Division's General Manager. "The original design called for the use of analog cameras with external video analytic encoders, which has been the standard approach for intelligent video surveillance. When SightLogix demonstrated their video analytic surveillance equipment integrated with GPS target location," he continued, "Saudi Aramco took the extraordinary action to revise the project's design to incorporate the SightLogix solution."

Saudi Aramco revised its original plan when SightLogix demonstrated a much greater detection range, which allowed for a sizable reduction in the number of cameras, mounting poles and infrastructure needed for the project while providing an additional level of redundancy. For the KAUST deployment, 74 SightLogix SightSensors are used to provide long-range, GPS-based alarms and target data for display into the Geutebruck video management system. This same GPS-based data is also used by 31 SightLogix SightTrackers to automatically position Pelco Esprit Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras for close-up visual identification of detected targets. Such automated tracking of objects was particularly important considering the large outdoor area under security management. "The SightLogix approach added significantly to the perimeter security capabilities of this project," added Mr. Kabbani.

Capable of operating in harsh outdoor conditions with a temperature range of -50C to +70C (-58°F to +158°F), SightLogix systems are dry-nitrogen pressurized meeting NEMA-4X enclosure standards, ensuring that they operate at peak efficiency regardless of climate. This was an important consideration for the desert environment where fine dust might otherwise play havoc with optics and electronic circuitry."SightLogix is transforming the performance and economics of outdoor security," said John Romanowich, SightLogix president and CEO. "We take great pride in being selected to secure the perimeter of Saudi Arabia's pre-eminent university and in Saudi Aramco's testing and validation of our capabilities. The added benefit for KAUST," he continued, "is a significant reduction in the design, construction and installation costs due to the long-range, wide-area coverage of our products. The result is an outdoor security system that's trusted, secure and cost effective."

The KAUST perimeter security team is an international effort that combines numerous integrators and contractors, including Saudi Aramco, Sumitomo, and Abdulla Fouad, and technology partners including Geutebruck, Pelco, and Global Defense Systems.