Unique system catches rural thief

To fight crime in rural areas, an English startup has developed the TelemetriCop system. This is a camera system with image recognition, which quickly identifies the perpetrator. There is a demand for security systems, especially in rural Britain. The damage caused by rural thieves amounted to 50 million euros last year.

A group of young developers, in conjunction with the Hampshire Police Force, have Telemetric Cop developed. This is a long-range radio network of wireless security cameras linked to an app on your phone. That app sends the images almost immediately. The chance is therefore high that the thieves can be caught in the act.

Existing systems are not sufficient
Theft from barns, dumping waste and opportunistic crimes are common, according to creator Hugo Stride. 'Farmers and rural residents suffer enormously. The current systems are not sufficient. It doesn't matter how much money you spend on it. They are not intended for use in rural areas. Telemetricop overcomes all the shortcomings of a CCTV system for rural and other remote areas. Users are looking for a system that directly combats crime and does not merely register the violation.'

The biggest problem for the developers turned out to be the communication of the system, without incurring huge data network costs. The system must also work in areas where there is no Wi-Fi and no cell phone coverage. In Britain the rule rather than the exception. 'To be able to work in this environment, the system must have its own power supply. It should work day and night and shouldn't require you to constantly look at the screen," Stride sums up. 'We also use the latest image recognition software and a low-cost automated system.'

False alarms minimized
The system works with a free UHF channel. The security camera is equipped with a motion sensor that automatically takes pictures, resizes the pictures and sends them to the base station. The created image is then scanned for recognizable faces and vehicles, so that no worthless images are sent. False alarms are, according to the creators, kept to a minimum.

You will receive the camera images in an app, a maximum of 60 seconds after it has been taken. The app works on smartphones and on PC. Then you can alert a preset security team or the police. After that, it's up to them to be on time. The system is quite pricey. One camera costs 530 euros. In addition, you need a base station of 265 euros. The company also sells the systems outside the UK on request.

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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