“Man or a Gorilla?” Performance Issues with
CCTV Technology In Security Control Rooms
University College London Human Centered Systems
Hina Keval
iea 2006 Maastricht, The
Netherlands: 10-14th July.
Overview of Talk
• Introduce: HCI/Ergonomics in context of
CCTV control rooms
• Describe: Research problems with digital
CCTV and control room operations
• Discuss: Pitfalls with previous control room
Research
• Research findings from field work at 5 CCTV
control rooms
• Future work
• Q&A
2
Research Arena: CCTV & HCI/Ergonomics
• CCTV first used in London
Underground 1961
• Estimated excess of 14 million
cameras in UK today
• Several changes in security
have occurred:
– Crime rates gone up
– Terrorist attacks
• Perceived fear of crime risen
• Advances in CCTV technology
• Usage scenarios changing
• Increased funding
3
Research Questions: CCTV Control Rooms
• More applications are being
integrated into existing
systems
• No assessment on operator
task performance within
CCTV control rooms
(1) How are operators coping
with information demands
in busy control rooms?
(2) Are control rooms
physically designed to
support cognitive tasks?
4
Previous Research: CCTV Control Rooms
• Several ethnographic studies have studied workplace
interactions
– Air traffic control centres (1)
– Ambulance control rooms (2)
– Transport control rooms (3)
• Findings descriptive not prescriptive
• Very little analysis on HCI issues & design changes for
tasks & technology set-up.
• Home Office evaluations (4 & 5)
- Use of technology in control rooms not examined
- CCTV technology changing at the time of the study
5
Previous Research: Cont…
• Luff and Heath (1992)
•
Some design issues given
London Underground
•
Ergonomics practice & HCI
barriers to task performance
ignored
•
Purchasing expensive
equipment
•
Radically re-designing
control room environment
processes
Control Room Study (3)
6
CCTV Control Room Research
GOALS…
• Understand the organisational &
general practices of CCTV
control rooms within large cities.
• Identify types of technology used
by operators & how they were
used.
• Identify limitations concerning
tasks and system design.
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Control Rooms Visited
Control
Room
A
Operator
Camera
Ratio
19:160
Technology
Employed
Security Centre
Manager’s Goal(s)
Most Crime Observed
in Control Room
Traffic
enforcement &
surveillance
Shoplifting, assault,
noise, ASBO (Anti
Social Behavioural
Orders) violated
Monitor incidents
and crime
Teenage ‘hoody’ bike
gangs – mobile phone
theft, assault
Digital
Prevent crime and
protect the public
Theft, club/pub late
night knife incidents &
drug taking in car
parks
Digital
Review images on
behalf of police
Hard drug use &
supply, late night
drinking and violence
Provide council
support &
surveillance
Violence, illegal
rubbish/car dumping
& theft
Digital &
Analogue
(50%:50%)
B
C
D
6:110
3:90
6:111
Analogue
Digital & Analogue
E
23:200
(70%:30%)
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Operator Tasks Identified
(1) REACTIVE TASKS
- Responding
(2) PROACTIVE TASKS
- Monitoring
(3) ADMINISTRATION TASKS
– Tape labelling and preparing copies for police
– Creating incident reports
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Problems Identified
(1) CAN’T SEE
“You don’t get us watching TV anymore”
(2) TOO MUCH INFO
“They just keep adding cameras.”
“I can hardly concentrate in hear, it’s so noisy”
(3) WORK ORGANISATION ISSUES
“We’re too busy for lunch breaks”
10
(4) Ineffective Search & Select Task
•
•
•
•
•
Majority of operators don’t live in surv. area
All control rooms visited – no maps linked to cams
Staff drew their own maps for newcomers
Need to memorise camera locations, numbers/screens
Paper maps can go astray and need updating
2. Map of Area i.e Camden
with Cameras No.
1. Cameras Database
Search for Camera/Street Location
1
4
2
1
11
3
5
12
7
6
9
10 8
13
11
Camera Number 10 – Gower Street
12
(5) Bad Ergonomics
8 Different pieces
of equipment!!
• Operator complained that old equipment left lying about.
• Work area cluttered
• Controls to equipment were poorly located, preventing operator in
using camera controls properly
13
Field Work Conclusions
• Technology changing – need for assessment
• Lack of system and tool integration in CCTV control rooms
• Design should focus on operator tasks not just technology
• Workspace layout & expansion should consider impact on
operator comfort, performance and health & safety.
14
Future Work
• 7 further ethnographic field studies carried out in
control rooms in and out of London
• Police control rooms also studied
• Recommendations validated via reports to :
– Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Command & Control
Airport
– 1 London Borough Control Room (South London)
Findings will be used to form usability framework for
CCTV control rooms – where ergonomics and HCI
factors are central to framework
15
References
(1)
Bentley, R., Hughes, L.A., Randall, D., Rodden, T., Sawyer, P., Shapiro, D and
Sommerville, I. (1992). Ethnographically informed systems design for air traffic
control, in: Proceedings of CSCW'92 Toronto, Ontario, ACM Press, pp. 123-129.
(2)
McCarthy, J., Wright P.C., Healey, P., Dearden, A and Harrison, M.D. (1997),
Locating The Scene: The Particular and The General in Contexts for Ambulance
Control, in: Proceedings of ACM97’ Phoenix, Arizona, ACM Pres, pp. 101-110.
(3)
Heath, C. C. and Luff, P.K. (1992), Collaboration and Control: Crisis management
and multimedia technology in London Underground Line Control Rooms.
Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-2. pp. 69-94.
(1)
Gill, M., Allen, A., Jessiman, J., Swain, D.,Hemming, M., Kara, D and Little, R.
(2005), Control room operation: findings from control room observations, Home
Office report, No. 17.
(2)
Gill, M., Allen, A., Jessiman, J., Swain, D., Hemming, M., Kara, D and Little R.
(2005), Methods in assessing the impact of CCTV, Home Office report, No 17.
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Q & A…
Thank you for your attention.
Any questions ?
17