GRYFFIN TALOS taut wire perimeter detection system

Perimeter security utilising a taut wire fence sensor system has been available for the last 30 years. There are a number of features which make such systems attractive for security applications. These include resistance to environmental affects, low nuisance alarm rate and high probability of detection. A taut wire fence constructed of barbed wire also acts as a deterrent, adding a barrier delay time to the perimeter. This paper describes a novel design for a new taut wire sensor. The mechanical design of the sensor provides a detector with superior sensitivity and robustness. The design allows for direct application of sensor wire strain through the sensor body without having to provide for a direction translation of sensor wire movement to the transducer. The electronic design of the sensor head stage provides advanced signal processing of the disturbance signal. The signal processing concept for a complete barrier is based on a distributed micro-controller design. Each sensor processor has an adaptive algorithm which customizes the signal processing of each sensor wire. Computer simulation testing using pre-logged environmental data is described