Safety, Security, SHUFFLE!
From Paris to Hong Kong, the Schréder SHUFFLE has become a vital piece of placemaking equipment. Going far beyond conventional lighting, the SHUFFLE brings added value to outdoor living spaces by integrating features such as loudspeakers, WiFi hotspots, charging points for electric vehicles and different types of sensors into one pole. It is energy-efficient, low maintenance, and hardwearing. One of the great things about the SHUFFLE is that it can be customised, with cities able to configure the components that best match their needs. However, we also offer a range of pre-configured SHUFFLE poles which can fulfil smart cities’ needs, without a bespoke price tag.
Thanks to its unique modularity, SHUFFLE offers cities the ability to start with light-only applications and add beyond light ones subsequently, making it a suitable investment for most of them.
Customers worldwide have made people feel safer in campuses, car parks and stations with the SHUFFLE Security and SHUFFLE SOS poles. These ready-to-go solutions can integrate intercoms, loudspeakers, strobe lights, alert horns and a wealth of different camera options. By leveraging this smart system, managers of municipal and privately-managed infrastructure can provide better services for citizens and manage their assets more efficiently. When it comes to safety, think SHUFFLE.
Smart Campuses for Student Welfare
Going to university is often the first-time young people have lived away from home. Higher education campuses worldwide aim to be safe, welcoming spaces where students can explore new places, make friends and learn to manage their own lives while they pursue their studies.
But what makes a campus feel safe? The University of Georgia Student Industry Fellows Program (SIFP) enables students to learn innovation skills through mutually beneficial industry partnerships. Last semester, students looked into how to improve campus safety, with a survey of over 700 students and people who use the campus regularly. They found that 38% of women sometimes feel unsafe on campus, a figure in line with surveys carried out by cities on this subject.
They found that while lighting is a priority, students are also keen to see SOS buttons and cameras integrated into campus security systems, and highlighted SHUFFLE configurations that could specifically improve safety, security and availability at bus stops and in parking areas. This all comes against the backdrop of a long-running partnership between Schréder USA and the university to create a safe, sustainable campus, a commitment renewed when a Belgian economic mission led by HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium recently visited the University of Georgia Athens.
Across the border in Canada, Montreal’s McGill University welcomes thousands of international students from over 150 countries every year. They recently renovated the road between two McGill landmarks, the Roddick Gates and the Arts Building, and wanted it to feel safe for pedestrians while enhancing the area’s sense of identity.
The winter nights are long in Canada, so they were delighted to discover the SHUFFLE, which could discreetly integrate cameras, while also offering free WiFi to help students stay connected. Integrated arms hang the University’s banners to create that vital sense of collegiate spirit. A total of 14 SHUFFLE columns were installed along the road, where their clean lines provide a modern design, characterising the University’s forward-thinking identity.
Green Choices in Sherwood Forest
Founded in 1843, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is one of the most influential higher education institutions in the UK, with over 40,000 students based at five sites. To improve security, they installed SHUFFLE smart poles fitted with a Zenitel Intercom with voice and video links in selected locations on three of its campuses. The intercom works with the university’s existing system, reflecting how SHUFFLE modules can be integrated into customers’ current choices, rather than requiring further investment in different systems. All the SHUFFLE smart poles are controlled by Schréder EXEDRA, and the Schréder STUDIO team also did some redesign to incorporate earthing tabs and backboards for them.
NTU is ranked 2nd most sustainable university in the world in the 2022 UI Green Metric University World Rankings and takes managing their green spaces seriously. One of their sites, Clifton, is home to bats, and the SHUFFLE modules there are equipped with warm white LEDs (2700K) so as not to disturb the bats’ natural habitats.
Safer People, Smarter Choices
Lighting plays a huge role in helping people feel safer in urban spaces, first and foremost by eliminating dark corners. Lutry, in Switzerland, recently gave the town centre a facelift, including a car park with 285 spaces, some of them outdoors. In order to make people feel safe and reassured that their vehicles are secure, they installed 20 SHUFFLE poles equipped with CCTV. The poles are decorated in a sleek nut-brown finish to blend in with the rest of the updated street furniture, ensuring both enhanced security and flawless aesthetics.
It’s not just about parking cars, either. As cities worldwide seek to get more people cycling, secure bike parking is a major factor in modal shift. White light makes it easy for users to see where they left their bike (an issue in large facilities, such as those at rail stations), while low-glare lighting offers a comfortable and user-friendly environment all times of day and night. The SHUFFLE can provide both, in an elegant, compact lighting column which incorporates CCTV cameras with digital zoom or fully motorised control. Designed to give off a friendly light that makes a bike-parking area feel safer and more welcoming, its presence actively discourages thieves.
SHUFFLE, the Choice of Stars
Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars, a waterfront promenade with its Walk of Fame and striking panoramic city views has been attracting visitors since 1982. A 2016 refurbishment saw plans to transform the entire Victoria dockside area, creating an “Instagram-worthy” space for tourists and locals to gather and interact.
Improving security was a major focus for the works. By integrating cameras into the SHUFFLE poles, the local authorities have increased the sentiment of safety and security. They also make things easier for emergency services in case any incidents occur. With the promenade hosting large-scale events, the loudspeakers in the SHUFFLE columns contribute to creating a festive ambiance by broadcasting music and announcements - and they can also help organisers guide the huge crowds if necessary. Street food is all part of the experience so electric sockets were also installed in certain SHUFFLE poles for food kiosks and mobile carts.
SHUFFLE Security can make life safer and more pleasant for people in car parks, campuses and classic tourist attractions - contact your local sales team to see how they could enhance safety in your town.
About the writer
As Business Development Manager at Schréder Hyperion, our Smart City centre of excellence, Guilherme focuses on the huge potential of smart city applications for cities. Passionate about making the world a better place through technology, he translates challenges into questions and answers into actionable solutions. In his spare time, Guilherme likes to volunteer and make a positive contribution to society.
Connect with Guilherme on LinkedIn or drop him an e-mail.