With more than 100 event days to choose from in 2018, MONICA will be busy deploying and testing its solutions, including 10,000 wristbands. To get the final details in place, the project is currently finalising the deployment plans for each of the six pilot cities, establishing what technologies to use, where and when.
Eleven events, four main solution areas
The MONICA solutions cover sound, crowd and security management, and the pilot sites have determined which solutions each of the eleven events will deploy.
As a result, six events will demonstrate sound monitoring and control solutions, nine will use the crowd and capacity monitoring tools, ten are interested in functionalities for handling incidents, and all in locating missing persons or staff.
A complete overview of site, crowd and staff
A central tool for the event organisers will be the Common Operational Picture (COP) which gives a complete overview of the venue and location of staff, thus supporting the operator in the management of the event.
The COP gets data from the multiple MONICA sources deployed at the event, which is displayed on screens in the control room, with one dashboard for each focus area.
For sound solutions, the operator can monitor sound levels detected by sensors inside and outside the venue, making sure the permitted sound levels are not exceeded. The operator can also watch crowd levels and compare them with the venue capacity, redirecting crowds if necessary.
In terms of handling security or health incidents, the operator gets alerts when people or the system report incidents, and cameras in the proximity can be used to validate the incident.
The alert is forwarded to relevant actors, and the handling staff is monitored in case back-up is needed. In certain instances, the alert goes directly to the emergency services on site.
The COP also gives an overview of the staff and their positions. If assistance is needed, the nearest colleague can be located, contacted and notified of type of incident before arriving.
Optimising the event experience
Are you taking part in the festivities, there will be a number of services available which aim to optimise your event experience.
If your event deploys sound solutions, you can get access to sound level maps based on data from the sensors installed. You can provide feedback on the quality of sound from your location and view crowdsourced sound maps based on evaluation from other visitors. This will help organisers improve the overall sound experience.
For safety and comfort, you can choose to register for wristbands and/or visitor apps, enabling the event staff to monitor crowd levels and redirect you, if necessary. You will also be able to locate missing children, friends or parents if that is the case. Finally, you can report health or security incidents and be notified when help is on its way.
In some cases, neighbours to an event will also be able to access information about sound levels and thresholds. By registering, neighbours can provide geo-localised feedback on the noise experienced in real time and access resulting reports on noise levels.
Matching pilot events with use cases
The displayed overview shows the initial matching of MONICA events with high priority use cases. It is the result of a series of workshops, pilot visits and stakeholder interviews where needs have been channeled into use cases and requirements for system functionality.
Read more about the engineering process
Even though use cases are shared, the circumstances are different in terms of which features and functionalities of the MONICA solutions are relevant for each individual pilot. Technical solutions will thus differ accordingly.
One major difference is whether the pilots are hosting “fenced” events, such as festivals, concerts, etc., or handling open-air, non-scheduled events in open venues, where citizens and visitors are free to access.
For example, the MONICA sound field control solution will only be deployed at closed/gated events with a more fixed, controlled setting whereas control of sound in other instances relies on user engagement. The same goes for the use of crowd wristbands which can only be handed out and retrieved at closed/gated events.
A fifth focus area: Enhancing the user’s experience
Additional to the four focus areas: sound, crowd, incidents and person location, MONICA also considers applications which enhance the visitor experience of the event by providing relevant, dynamic information. They could cover information about facilities, safety, accommodation and travel as well as advice on quickest exit, nearest bar and shortest queues. Interactive features could also be added to engage the audience and performers.
To promote the development of solutions in this area, MONICA is planning three hackathons in 2018 on enhanced user experience and engagement for sports and music events as well as urban spaces. The plan is to deploy the winning solutions at the MONICA pilot sites during 2019. Read more about the hackathons.
