Wearables
and software development kits to
customise applications.
Smartwatches are available
with LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
connections, as well as versatile
screens, body sensors, voice activation
and accelerometers. As an example,
Samsung is already proposing its
Galaxy Watch as an aid for rstresponders.
is watch is IP68-rated,
has built-in LTE and can operate as
a standalone device or integrate with
other communications tools. With
suitable battery life and defence-grade
security, Samsung claims the watch is
ready for public safety deployment.
Equipped with GPS and heart rate
monitoring, it can keep controllers
informed about the location and
health of the ocer, and send alerts
about health risks or other dangers.
e screen can display information
such as a photo of a person of interest
or a section of a map. Samsung is
working with providers of control
room solutions and oers the Samsung
DeX application platform as a tool
for rapidly integrating the device into
control room systems.
Smartwatches such as this oer
voice communications, short messages
and instant alerts from dispatch, and
can alert the ocer by using haptic
feedback (vibrations); this ability
to silently alert an ocer improves
situational awareness and safety. e
Galaxy Watch can be set up to send
a duress alert with a simple touch;
this means an ocer can summon
assistance without drawing attention to
their actions.
e Galaxy Watch supports
standalone LTE connectivity, as well
as wireless charging. When it comes
to data security, the Samsung Knox
application provides protection that
begins at the hardware level and
continues through to the operating
system. Knox also provides access to
device management and customisation
options for wearables.
ere is some concern about
smartwatches if used for location
monitoring over a long period – due
integrated into their headgear, as may
motorcycle policemen or paramedics.
Augmented reality is also a potential
application on such devices – the
possibilities for ocer training,
enhanced navigation and medical
assistance are intriguing.
The key to the back ofce
Tyler Technologies supplies CAD
systems for public safety agencies, and
it is working with Samsung to integrate
the latter’s smartwatch into its systems.
Duane Kietzman, product owner, talks
me through the project.
He says: “We looked at the workow
of police ocers in particular. ese
people have data solutions on tablets
or PCs in the car but will frequently
need to quickly get out on foot. e
smartwatch can alert the dispatcher to
sudden movement and track location.”
With LTE built in there is no need to
relay this information through another
device, which is a big step forward for
smartwatches, according to Kietzman.
Tyler Technologies is also working to
bring biometric information such as
heart rate into the control system. With
this technology, if critical body levels
are reached, the dispatcher can take
rapid action. e company is trying
to port the solutions onto Apple or
Google Wear OS-based smartwatches.
Kietzman says: “We are also looking
at how IoT sensor information can
be included in the command picture,
and considering how smart glasses can
be used. Underlying all of this is the
principle that information should be
making the job of the ocer safer, and
that of the dispatcher easier. We oer a
multiple device control system, noting
that we need to capture information
from and interact with several devices
carried by ocers and located in their
vehicle. We are very aware of the
danger of overwhelming dispatchers
with too much information.”
to the amount of power consumed by
GPS receivers, other devices may be
better suited to this task.
Future vision
Since some early pilot tests in the
past few years, smart glasses are now
knocking on the door of the public
safety market. Taking China as an
example, in 2018 the LLVision smart
glasses were used by police during the
busy Spring Festival at Zhengzhou
station to identify a number of suspects
in major crimes and passengers using
other people’s identity documents.
At CES 2019, the Vuzix Blade smart
glasses won a consumer technology
award. ese connect to a smartphone
application, but can be voice controlled
hands-free. ey are used as standard
glasses with prescription inserts if
necessary. Information is displayed
on the inside of the glass, and a
camera also looks ahead to sense the
environment. ST Engineering has
taken the technology one step further
with a software platform that integrates
biometric and other information for
rst-responders and enterprise users.
e Canadian company North
(formerly almic Labs) is oering
Focals, smart glasses which are
customised for each end-user – showing
how smart glasses are becoming far less
obtrusive and obvious, and intended for
all-day wear. ey share similar features
with other oerings without a forwardfacing
camera; however, they still
display location, messaging, calendar
and other info. Control is achieved with
a small joystick on a nger ring.
Medical, security and police ocers
may be the most promising market
for such devices, enabling them to
freely move and use their hands while
receiving data and possibly sending
video to controllers or medical centres.
Fireghters wearing helmets may soon
use advances in display technology
working to make
smart glasses look
less obvious; right:
Samsung claims
Watch is ready for
public safety use
– it can be used to
monitor the user’s
heart rate and to
track their location,
and display images
We looked at the
workow of police
Left: North is
that its Galaxy
and alerts
ofcers in particular. These
people have data solutions in
the car but will frequently
need to get out on foot
March 2019 @CritCommsToday 31