Ficosa, global provider of solutions for vision, safety, efficiency and high-tech connectivity for the automotive industry, has developed the Connected Police Car, a vehicle equipped with advanced technology that converts patrol cars into real mobile police stations. This project, carried out in collaboration with Telefónica, was recently presented at SICUR 2016 (International Security, Safety and Fire Exhibition) on Feb. 23-26 in Madrid.
“It has been a real honor for us to lead this project, pioneer at an international level, in which we have been working for more than three years,” said Ficosa CEO Xavier Pujol. “The Connected Police Car is an important step in enabling policemen to carry out different procedures without having to be at the police station, as well as offering them new tools to facilitate their work with the aim of improving the citizen security.”
Ficosa has incorporated into the patrol car multiple solutions via the latest technology. Specifically, the center console of the car has been equipped with a laptop with a 10-inch touchscreen, notable for its ruggedness, enduring adverse conditions such as rain, extreme heat and more. In addition, the 3G and 4G Telefónica connection allows the device to send and receive images and videos in real time, from the car to the police station, and vice versa.
In addition, using an automatic license plate reader (ALPR), the agents can detect whether vehicles around have been stolen or are on the lists of suspects. This solution digitizes and encodes the plate images, contrasting simultaneously with police databases to verify them.
This intelligent vehicle also integrates three video surveillance cameras located at the front, in the interior and at the rear of the car. These cameras are able to record any activity that happens on its viewing angle and allow agents to generate an alert if an abnormal situation is detected, facilitating the future searching of the recorded video. Furthermore, Ficosa has included an integrated antenna system with fractal technology that enhances connectivity in the vehicle.
The Connected Police Car project, which is in its pilot phase, has already seven cars currently circulating in the provinces of Madrid, Zaragoza and Valencia. After this trial period, it is expected to be implemented in 150 to 200 patrol cars throughout Spain.
