Vidient Executive to Speak at American Public Transportation Association Conference with Amtrak, Bombardier, British Columbia Transit and Los Angeles Metro

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Vidient Systems, the technology leader in intelligent video, announced that Jon Cook, its Vice President of Engineering, will speak at the 2010 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Rail Conference on innovative technologies and strategies for protecting rail infrastructure, the public and employees.

Jon's presentation is an element of a comprehensive discussion of strategies to address the safety and security risks faced by rail and metro operators. These facilities face unique challenges: to insure the safety of the travelling public and employees while maintaining the accessibility and convenience required for efficient public transportation. To provide a broad perspective on the issues, Jon is joined by representatives from Amtrak, Los Angeles Metro, Bombardier, the Mineta Transportation Institute and the British Columbia Transit Police.

Jon's talk will describe a variety of technologies to detect track and tunnel intrusions, a particularly challenging task for automated detection systems because of the usual low light conditions, the blinding effect of the headlights on CCTV cameras and the vibration caused by the movement of the train. He'll discuss and compare solutions such as those based on video analytics, pressure sensitive buried cable, fiber optics mats and laser beams.

Vidient was selected to speak at the conference due to its proven expertise in rail safety and security. The company's SmartCatch video analytics system protects rail facilities around the world including those operated by Amtrak, Montreal Metro, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA), St. Louis Metro, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and the DC Department of Transportation. The software constantly monitors the track and tunnel areas for human intrusions and issues real-time alarms to the security staff for immediate response actions while ignoring the presence or movement of trains.

The APTA Rail conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency and Fairmont Hotels in Vancouver BC, June 6th - 9th, 2010. The conference is the largest show of its kind in North America, with over 1,200 in attendance. Vidient is demonstrating SmartCatch in the Product Showcase as the only intelligent video analytics provider in the conference due to its focus on transportation.

About Vidient Systems

Since its founding in 2004, Vidient has established the technology leadership position in intelligent video analysis for security, safety and operational efficiency applications. Vidient's SmartCatch family of products is in use around the world at major railways/metros, airports, military bases, corporate campuses and critical infrastructure sites. The products are available worldwide directly from Vidient and through a network of systems integrators. www.vidient.com

SOURCE Vidient Systems