A Smart Fence is as the name implies a type oftraditional physical barrier that has been combined with modern technology and Internet of Thing style sensors. In high security or privacy scenarios this makes it the most technologically advanced and easily monitored form of perimeter intrusion detection. The idea behind the Smart Fence is that it will be constructed to physically detect and deterpotential intrusions into high security areas by unauthorized personnel. Modern Smart Fences will have no environmental limitations as they typically will operate on solar or other energy harvesting sources and they will deliver a very high level of peace of mind.
The way that the technology works is that a Smart Fence will typically have a single detector per segment and it is the job of this detector to collect and aggregate the signals from the many wires that make up that piece of fencing. Any disruption or break in the wiring will be detected by the sensor and trigger an alert and this makes it a very sophisticated and precise solution for intrusion detection.
However a Smart Fence is not just a wire fence with some cameras and motion or intrusion detection sensors attached as that would not make it smart. Instead a Smart Fence will understand the type of intrusion and act accordingly so as to prevent false alarms. After all the purpose of the fence is to provide reassurance of your security and not to unnecessarily heighten your anxiety. So when you go looking for a smart fence solution always check it has a high Probability of Detection (Pd) with minimal false and nuisance alarm rates (FAR / NAR).
Because smart fences are build using traditional wire fence techniques this makes them easy and cheap to deploy. This makes smart fences very cost effective as they are also cheap to maintain and most importantly monitor.
Monitoring a smart fence can be done via a single computer that receives the alerts coming from the sensors and issues notifications of any potential intrusion. However because of the segmented design of the fence the actual intrusion can be pin pointed to a matter of meters. This robust and precision system therefore does away with the need for manual checks of the fence by a security guard as all the monitoring and management can be done from a central location so this lowers the total cost of the security solution.
The design and materials used in constructing a Smart Fence are selected for their harsh weather resistance and robustness. Therefore smart fences can be readily deployed in harsh climates or even by the sea in salty air. Many Smart Fencesare deployed very successfully in Ontario, which has harsh winter climate with practically no evidence of corrosion.
There are several companies in the greater Toronto area that cater for this growth market in security solutions and can design and deploy a smart fence to meet your requirements. However you must ensure that they are smart fence specialist and not just traditional fencing companies, as the technology does require skilled planners and installers.
