Spanish technology to modernize and ensure safety at Egypt's archaeological sites

Spanish public company Defex has led the comprehensive project to improve the archaeological sites of Gizah, Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple in Egypt, both to improve heritage and visitor security with control centers for incident monitoring and management developed by Idom as a technology partner and Virtualware solutions, to minimize the impact caused by tourism in these areas.

Following the terrorist attack on 1987 against a tourist bus at Hatchepsut Temple, in which fifty people died, The Government of Egypt became aware of the need to protect its archaeological sites to prevent similar attacks, in addition to trying to minimize as much as possible the impact that this event had on the number of visitors, since the 15% Egyptian population lives on tourism, being the country's second largest source of foreign exchange.

Due to the lack of funding in the country, the project was delayed and from the year 2001 and under the need to improve security joined a new problem: studies indicated that the impact of visitors generated unsustainable use of the heritage, leading to his deterioration or even his disappearance.

In that environment, the Spanish public company Defex proposed the realization of a comprehensive project to improve archaeological sites with Spanish funding: A 60% FIEM Funds and a 40% through a buyer's credit, managed through BBVA.

The contract aims to modernize the facilities of two of Egypt's most important historical heritage areas: West Bank (includes the Valley of the Kings, Hatchepsut Temple, the Temple of Ramesses, Medinah Habu and Carter's House); Luxor and Gizah Temple.

The project led by Defex, executed in different phases and completed, aims to ensure the improvement of the protection of areas of historical interest; proper control of visitors; prevent the theft of historical remains; nightly visits to the sites by installing the right lighting, and the preservation of the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, by constant temperature and humidity control.

In addition, each site has a control center that is linked to a main one, to which is added the Visitor Center in Gizah, endowed with audiovisual media, models and interactive tools.

The project has intervened 35 Selected Spanish suppliers to supply the different equipment required, where Defex has chosen the company Idom to carry out the engineering and technical supervision of the same, that in the development of the security system of control centres has been in the collaboration of Virtualware.

Specifically,, the latter company has designed and implemented a complex risk event control and care system for security personnel to monitor and act efficiently on potential intrusions, complex alerts and breakdowns using multiple devices, both entry (a tactile lectern and a 3D gyroscopic mouse), as output (through a large format video wall).

The platform created by Virtualware represents the project on an interactive 3D mockup with all geolocated assets, allowing security personnel to monitor and act on alarms thanks to advanced synoptic interfaces and frames, because they can 3D navigate the stage and observe the different states of security systems.

To this end, a 3D and multimedia application has been developed that provides an advanced interface to the complex's set of security systems, as it integrates with cameras, analog and digital sensors and actuators, creating a two-way custom connection middleware with third-party hardware provided and/or integrated by Dorlet, Bosch and Scati based on services.

The application provides added value based on technology, facilitating the communication of the complex alarm system and complementing the existing system, by reporting events to react proactively .

Among other possibilities, this solution makes it easy to see the different security cameras in real time, contextualized in their location, as well as obtaining additional information on demand, because the system gets the information through the services interface, and performing certain actions on the security system directly acting on the interface, that communicates actions through the services interface.

Control centres are currently in full operation to ensure the safety of the entire complex. The installed platform will also be used to plan infrastructure maintenance thanks to a tablet application that connects to the control centers, also developed by Virtualware.

With augmented reality technology and geolocated field asset representation, this app allows maintenance operators to make planning routes to review all project supplies, consult technical data and change the installation status of the same in real time.

 

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