Security systems are indispensable to any type of building and guarded asset. Commercial properties, airports, retail shops, industrial enterprises, financial and governmental institutions, schools, medical facilities, oil and gas companies as well as residential complexes require a unique set of safety and security measures because each type of property is vulnerable to different hazards.
As technology progresses, threats and vulnerabilities to human lives including national security also increases. CCTV surveillance systems and other intelligent electronic sensors are being installed in many establishments, industrial setups and high-risk security areas to monitor and guard against these threats.
Apart from CCTV systems, there are other security systems meant for industrial setups and related establishments with electronic sensors playing an important role in security systems. Industrial security systems may include fire alarms, chemical sensors, access control systems, video surveillance units and intrusion detection systems, for a complete solution for protecting workers and their assets.
Leading sensors categories for high security applications, include:
Biometric Access Control Systems
These are fingerprint access and time attendance control systems mostly found in industries, commercial establishments and offices. These use fingerprints to first register in the database for authentication.
Proximity Access Control Systems
RFID-based proximity access systems are normally used in offices, factories, banks and so on. These are inexpensive, quick and easy to use for door and gate entry systems. Sometimes these are even more effective than video surveillance. HSI Sensing’s Sentinel technology can monitor precise location and strength of all magnetic fields within proximity of the sensor, delivering a 360-degree scope to monitor activity from every angle. And, Sentinel is discrete. Sentinel can accomplish all the actions required of a high security sensor in a package that is less than half the size of comparable sensors.
Chemical Sensors
An array of chemical sensors is used to detect organic compounds present in gases. Some of these sensors are used in homeland security, analysis, radio frequency detection, sensing toxic industrial materials, bomb detection, toxic vapors and chemical agent simulants.
Magnetic Sensors
These sensors are used in many security and military systems. Traditional sensors are complemented by new sensor types such as anisotropic magneto resistor (AMR), giant magneto-resistance (GMR) and giant magneto-impedance (GMI) sensors. These are used for the detection of ferromagnetic and conducting objects, navigation, position tracking and in anti-theft systems.
An electronic sensor system extends its application to various fields such as national defense, home, personal safety, office and industry. As crime rates increase, we feel unsafe unless we have appropriate electronic security systems in place.
