University of Reading -
JJ Thompson Building - Simulation Suite

Requirements

Having previously worked with the university integrating our cSkills solution into the speech and language unit in the Psychology department, we were asked again to provide our camera and recording system as part of the refurbishment of the 2nd floor of the JJ Thompson building.

The main requirements of the project included:

• HD Cameras and microphones to be provided to capture video and audio in 2 x consultation rooms, 4 x bed ward areas, 2 x de-brief rooms and a simulation suite
• HD Cameras to be positioned at the bottom of each of the 4 beds in the ward, along with 2 additional cameras positioned in the middle to provide a general overview
• A single camera was to be provided in each of the other areas to enable recording and live streaming for simulation and/or de-brief area
• The ability to control, view live and play back from either of the de-brief rooms and the general teaching room
• The ability to view and capture the vital signs generated from a manikin simulator at each bed in the ward
• Audio talkback solution to allow the comms room to communicate to each bed area and de-brief rooms via speaker
• Provision of a tally light system to indicate when a recording is taking place in any of the rooms with recording equipment installed

The Solution

• 6 x cSkills 1080p PTZ cameras were installed in the ward area allowing a variety of views around the room and each of the 4 bed areas. The camera's wide angle of view captures all the desired action taking place around the beds from within the boundary of the curtain
• Drop down microphones were connected back to a digital mixer to capture the audio in high quality, and allow the user to fine tune, mute or solo any microphone inputs
• Installation of a single cSkills PTZ camera, with associated drop down microphones and audio mixer in each of the de-brief rooms, simulation suite, and de-brief rooms
• Each bed area has a cSkills vital signs interface which allows the user to make a connection from manikin simulator output on a laptop, tablet, iPad etc. into the interface box. The ops screen can then be viewed and captured into the cSkills system and streamed/recorded alongside the camera footage
• The talkback solution comprises of 4 x speakers mounted at the head of each bed, with others mounted in the de-brief rooms. The operator in the control can use a microphone to act as the voice of the patient, in addition to playing background audio to provide a more immersive experience
• A tally light system is used to indicate when a recording is taking place. When a recording is initiated in the control room, our software triggers the red tally light in the associated area that indicates a session in active
• cSkills Control, Streaming, and Playback software modules were installed on the university PCs in the de-brief rooms and group teaching rooms. The dual network machines connect to both university and cSkills network and allow each room to control recordings, stream live video and playback recorded sessions
• The computers above were integrated with the existing AV presentation facilities in the rooms, enabling live viewing and playback on the large format displays used for teaching

Summary

The newly refurbished area now has a flexible and easy to use system to record, view live, and playback to aid in simulation and training.

The solution allows the users to stream from any room with cameras and mics to any of the de-brief or group teaching rooms. In addition any of these 3 rooms can be used to control a session, giving flexibility in assigning rooms depending on what teaching is taking place on any given day.

The modularity of the cSkills system leaves scope for further expansion in the future, with the ability to integrate additional sources as any additional recording requirements arise.