IDIS’s Korean-made video technology regularly proves itself in high-security situations, yet few are as dramatic or crucial as the Volcán de Fuego project in Guatemala
The volcano, one of the world’s most active and dangerous, is now watched day and night to warn early of impending eruptions.
Residents, emergency agencies, emergency agencies, and scientists can now view the live footage of this ‘mountain of fire’ online – all captured by IDIS’s award-winning 8MP 31x IR PTZ camera.
Even from 9 miles away, the 8-megapixel model delivers ultra-high-definition, full day and night surveillance of the active caldera, showing sudden gas and ash eruptions as often as every 15 to 20 minutes.
In June 2018, nearly 200 people were killed during a series of explosions and pyroclastic flows, leaving little evacuation time. This was the volcano’s most powerful eruption since 1974 and its deadliest since 1929, but it was far from an isolated incident. More than 60 significant eruptions have been recorded over the last five centuries- and with 54,000 people living on the fertile farmlands within 6 miles of the crater, the risk remains high.
So, high definition, continual video monitoring – alongside data
sensors, including seismology and gas detectors, aim to protect vulnerable communities living around the volcano by giving early warnings.
The H.265 IR DC-S3883HRX camera – features an 8MP, autofocus, 31x optical zoom lens, IR performance up to 200m, and a susceptible auto-return positioning sensor – was installed by IDIS partner EPCOM and Guatemalan telecommunications specialist Crelosa.
Like all IDIS cameras, the model – which won two prestigious German design awards – benefits from a proper, one-click plug-and-play setup, which is ideal for hassle-free installation at height. For challenging environments and locations where engineers are exposed to increased risk.
The IDIS PTZ also features a true wide dynamic range (WDR), allowing it to cope efficiently with changing lighting conditions; electronic image stabilization (EIS) ensures continuous coverage of scenes at a distance, so images from the volcano remain crisp and sharp, and H.265 and intelligent codec requires minimum bandwidth even for 4K live monitoring.
The camera remains stable despite the region’s variable weather conditions, including strong sun and extreme daily temperature changes. Additionally, the water droplet wiper proves essential during the rainy season.
