Security and safety enhanced by Edge Computing

Looking back on the past year, what I have observed is that while the global pandemic has curtailed so much, in many ways it has accelerated the digital agenda of many of our customers.

For many, the journey to the cloud that was scheduled over a year actually happened over the course of a day as workers were empowered to work from home with all the tools and support they would have in the office.  

As digital transformation continues to accelerate, I am excited by the next wave of innovation to come from newer technologies such as Edge Computing and Mobile Private Networks (MPN).

With the power to bring high definition mixed reality to life, and the ability to improve things like healthcare, facility security, smart cars and cities and live, interactive video streaming, Edge Computing’s true potential is only just starting to be realised.

The rapid rollout of 5G networks around the world, combined with the benefits of Edge Computing, is facilitating advancements for a variety of use cases and our partnership with AWS means we can encourage and support this innovation further.

On board with rail safety

Train travel, and public transport in general, has certainly changed in the past year and is a great example of where Edge Computing can really make a difference.

Working with Unleash live, an AI-powered video analytics platform, we can help repurpose existing camera installations to provide customers with real-time analytics, giving instant guidance.

In a train station scenario, it can detect if commuters are wearing face masks and monitor social distancing around the site, as well as the number of passengers. Analysis of this data can provide insights that can further improve the safety of passengers – triggering instant announcements, alerts or passenger rerouting around the station.

Using the same method, the platform can also detect and remedy problems before they escalate, such as accidents, incidents or unidentified baggage, giving teams the information they need to take preventative action quickly.

Ultimately, transport networks will be able to offer safer, more reliable journeys that passengers feel comfortable making, as well as benefitting from efficient, accurate resource planning.

Higher security capabilities

Air travel can also benefit from this technology and one pilot scheme being carried out in the UK is around airspace security.

Drones can be hugely positive for society but unwanted drone activity can compromise the safety and security of critical sites such as ports, airports, power plants and military bases.

Typically, before Edge Computing, these organisations would need to lay metres of cable to connect the drone sensors in remote locations to the drone detection application server. 

Now, a mobile powered sensor can connect to the low latency Edge Computing service running from the edge of the network.  Deploying drone detection services across multiple locations becomes more effiecient as their customers don’t need to invest in incremental computer hardware per site.

Working with Dedrone, a company that enables customers to monitor their airspace and build procedures to safeguard their assets against unwanted drones, we’re helping improve its offering so that users can better defend their critical assets much faster than they could without Edge Computing. Watch this video, where the team tells us more:

Find out more about how we’re helping businesses use Edge Computing or discover how Edge Computing can make a difference to your organisation.

And if you would like to put forward a submission for our new incubation program, the Vodafone Business Edge Innovation Program (EIP), please register here.