ALWAYS WATCHING The Inkwazi mobile digital video recorder system is able to capture and store video footage from multiple cameras on-board a vehicle
Local video tracking company Inkwazi currently provides tracking, and real time and historical video streaming services for Mpumalanga-based coal hauliers, such as Sathala and FTX.
MD Nicolette Bailey tells Mining Weekly that these companies have informed Inkwazi that the use of the company’s video tracking systems has greatly assisted their operations, as they helped the companies to end all fuel theft, which had previously dogged their fleets.
She adds that the systems have also ensured that the companies have credible evidence that the coal that they are transporting is correctly covered and, in cases where disputes arise over wet coal and the like, they can show complete footage of the delivery.
Additionally, Bailey points out that FTX in 2015 achieved a 100% audit rating from the Road Transport Management System of South Africa (RTMS), as the company was able to provide complete reports and progress updates on all its journeys.
The RTMS is an industry-led, voluntary self-regulation scheme that encourages consignees, consignors and transport operators engaged in the road logistics value chain to implement a vehicle management system that preserves road infrastructure, improves road safety and increases the productivity of the logistics value chain.
Bailey explains that standard vehicle tracking provides users with a simple dot on a map with the location and speed that the vehicle is travelling. However, with video tracking, managers can see exactly how their drivers are performing and whether they are obeying road and safety regulations. She notes that this enables managers to monitor their fleets in real time and address any problems before they worsen.
The Inkwazi mobile digital video recorder (MDVR) system is able to capture and store video footage from multiple cameras on board a vehicle on a hard drive and secure digital (SD) card (for redundancy). Bailey highlights that the MDVR has the ability to transmit live video footage or download stored video footage over commercial third-generation – commonly known as 3G – cellphone technology or WiFi.
“We have both SD and hard drive, mirroring to SD in case of accidents. Most SDs will survive accidents where hard drives might not.”
She elaborates that the system integrates global positioning system data into the video, thereby enhancing the visual footage with the tracking information. Moreover, the system is able to capture and store high-quality video footage on board for an extended period, typically around 30 days.
The user also has the ability to replay historical footage as a video stream from a vehicle, even if the vehicle is out on the road, or companies can download the video files directly. The system is able to identify user definable events and will automatically download a customisable time period of video footage around the event to the system, where it will be preserved until deleted.
Meanwhile, Bailey points out that Inkwazi’s tracking systems are used in a range of industries including, but not limited to, the taxi, courier, bulk commodities transport, agriculture and cash transit sectors.
She further highlights that the company develops the software for its systems locally and has been doing so since it was established in 1997, while the hardware is produced by a China-based manufacturer.
The company has a data centre in Johannesburg, which contains a 100 MB fibre-optic connection to handle the large quantities of data that its systems receive. This ensures the stability of Inkwazi’s platform.
“We have had no downtime in the past two years and, in the past ten years, there have been only two incidents of downtime occurring that I can recall,” Bailey concludes.
Inkwazi’s mobile digital video recorder system records the delivery of coal at Eskom’s Medupi power station: