LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA: TOP-DOWN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.

 

Customer.

 

The Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for planning, development and implementation of Lagos State (Nigeria) policy in the field of new technologies. It aims to exploit innovation in a way which will contribute to solving problems and have a positive impact on society.
 
Lagos is the smallest and at the same time the most densely populated state in Nigeria. The Lagos agglomeration has an estimated number of inhabitants reaching about 21 million, which makes Lagos one of the 10 mostly populated cities in the world. The state’s dynamic development and constant influx of new residents have led the Ministry to seek a solution which would improve the efficiency of the state’s development planning, enable efficient management of spatial resources and ensure better management of the 3,577 km² area. This meant that modern tools were needed to capture images feeding the Geospatial Information System with reliable, up-to-date and high-quality data.
 
This is why the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology decided to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It chose Asseco Nigeria to implement the project. The company won the international competition thanks to innovative solutions developed by Asseco Poland, which was responsible for the delivery of two unmanned platforms together with operator panels, Asseco Ground Control Station (Asseco GCS) and Asseco Simulation Environment (Asseco SE), enabling training for unmanned aerial systems’ operators. The implementation was carried out by Asseco Nigeria in close cooperation with Asseco Poland.
 

Implementation.

 

The project began in February 2017 and was implemented in two stages. During the first one, Asseco supplied the Asseco SE simulation environment, which provides training for unmanned aerial systems’ operators. Thanks to the solution, the operators can acquire necessary skills related to the complex use of the UAV system – from planning, take-off, execution of the entire mission to landing – and acquire knowledge needed for a quick and appropriate response to emergencies. The software allows flight training to be conducted in a way that very accurately reflects the actual conditions of the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, without fear of losing the platform or waiting for the appropriate weather conditions.
 
As part of the project in Nigeria, Asseco also established a certified training centre for UAV operators and a service centre. It was the first investment of this type in the region and one of the first in Africa, thanks to which several dozen people per year will be able to gain theoretical and practical knowledge. The scope of training includes the maintenance and use of multirotor and airframe platforms, as well as software for building a digital terrain model. The training courses are conducted by experts from Asseco Poland and Asseco Nigeria.
 
In the second stage of the project, the company was responsible for delivering UAVs, which, thanks to Asseco’s software, enable the creation of an accurate orthophoto basemap of the entire Lagos State.
 
The use of Asseco GCS makes it possible to plan the flight routes with the highest precision. Flights can be performed simultaneously by two unmanned platforms, each moving over one of 39 separate sectors. For 6 hours spent in the air, a drone takes about 22,000 pictures in very high resolution. A flight over one area of 12 km2 is carried out within two days.
 
The use of Asseco’s software in the project allowed to create an accurate orthophoto basemap of the entire state of Lagos.
 
Asseco Ground Control Station enables the operators to continuously supervise the progress of their missions. The photos taken during each flight by the flying platforms are then analyzed and processed with the use of dedicated software, which creates orthomosaics. In this way, a very precise orthophoto basemap of the area is created, which is made available in the geoportal in the next stage.
 
As part of the project, Asseco was also responsible for integrating individual components of the solution and testing the system, which was fully adapted to the requirements and needs of the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology. Owing to Asseco GCS’s flexibility, it will be able to be extended and ultimately integrated with the Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system.
 
The implementation of the software was the responsibility of Asseco Nigeria, which was also the first line of customer support. The project was carried out in full cooperation with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and security procedures.
 

Key Benefits.

 

As a result of the project, Lagos State has a solution which provides highly accurate measurements and efficient image acquisition feeding the State’s GIS system. It has also gained the ability to register real estate and receive up-to-date administrative information about over 21 million inhabitants and their places of residence, work and leisure.
 
Asseco’s cooperation with the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology allowed, among others, for more effective planning of the development of this region of Africa and management of its spatial resources. It also enabled continuous monitoring of environmental pollution as well as land erosion and flooding risks.
 
Asseco’s solution has become an integral part of the Lagos eGIS project, enabling the efficient acquisition of high-resolution images of a vast agglomeration area. It has also ensured their processing and publication through the geoportal to both residents and investors.
 
Thanks to the educational center established by Asseco, Lagos State can effectively educate other UAV operators who, thanks to training in environment accurately reflecting drone behavior in the air, can prepare well for future flights.

Project in numbers.

2
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with advanced payload (LIDAR, thermal imaging camera and high-resolution cameras)
3,577 km2
area covered by a single orthophoto basemap
12
hour flight over each of the 39 sectors
21
milion inhabitants will get access to up-to-date data
22,000
photos in a single flight
39
sectors covered by flights, each covering the area of 12 km2

„The African market’s dynamic development has made unmanned systems more widely used in the implementation of activities related to security or business. The Lagos State Government has decided for the first time to use unmanned systems in its eGIS project. It is very important for us that it decided to cooperate with our company, as the development of these systems is an important element of Asseco’s strategy. We beat the competition from all over the world thanks to the advanced functionalities of Asseco GCS, which ensure maximum safety during flights over densely populated areas. The support of Asseco Nigeria, which was responsible for the maintenance work, was also very important. This project once again showed us the enormous potential we have when acting together as the Asseco Group” – said Zdzisław Wiater, Director of the International Organizations and Solutions for the Security Sector Division of Asseco Poland.
 
„It was a pioneering project, and, at the same time, the largest GIS project ever carried out in West Africa. The UAVs delivered by Asseco are the most reliable, safest and cheapest way to collect and continuously keep updating accurate cadastral data, which is vital for an economy like that of Lagos State” – said Simon Melchior, CEO, Asseco Nigeria.
 
„Apart from the strategic cooperation between the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology and Asseco Nigeria, this project is a practical example of the transfer of technology and knowledge from Europe to Nigeria and we trust that this project will turn Lagos into a UAV center of excellence” – said Hakeem Fahm, Lagos State Commissioner of Science and Technology.
 
„The integration of this complex system was a real challenge for the whole team. Such difficult and advanced solutions are rare on a global scale. A successful implementation, the main part of which is AGCS software, which manages the whole photogrammetric mission together with the installed sensors – LIDAR, thermal imaging camera and high-resolution cameras – proves the high maturity of our system and the high competence of our team. It also allows for optimistic approach to next international challenges” – said Tomasz Mosiej, Project Manager in the Division of International Organizations and Solutions for the Security Sector at Asseco Poland.

UNIVERSITY OF WROCŁAW: STUDIES IN VR TECHNOLOGY.

 

Customer.

 

The University of Wrocław has been operating for over 300 years and is one of the best universities in Poland. Over 30,000 students attend 10 faculties, where humanities dominate. One of them is the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics, which is one of the largest in the country.
 
The University of Wrocław was looking for solutions which would increase the effectiveness of the teaching process. It wanted to develop practical skills of the students of the criminalistics faculty, involving conducting the inspection of a crime scene and securing the traces of a crime. Therefore, in 2018, it decided to make the „Virtual Crime Scene” simulator, based on the Virtual Reality (VR) technology, available to students. The solution, the only of this type on the Polish market, was developed by Asseco Data Systems, a company of the Asseco Group.
 

Implementation.

 

The implementation of the simulator was carried out by the Training Division of Asseco Data Systems in cooperation with the professional staff of the University of Wrocław. The solution has helped the students of criminalistics to develop their skills and shape behavior at a crime scene. After moving into the virtual world, the scene of the murder of a well-known lawyer appears to their eyes. The students’ task is to properly secure the evidence at the crime scene and to determine the cause of death.
 
The VR software provided by Asseco Data Systems includes two separate scenarios leading to different conclusions about the event – a murder or a suicide. Pieces of evidence and other interactive but unnecessary objects are placed in the office and private bathroom of the lawyer.
 
Each student navigating in virtual reality has at their disposal a professional set of tools for analyzing the place of the event, including: gloves, equipment for securing and collecting samples left on the spot, such as: swabs, vials, paper package, plastic bags, tweezers, pliers, a microscopic table and a flashlight.
 
The „Virtual Crime Scene” makes it easier for students to gather the necessary knowledge and acquire appropriate habits in terms of the correct way of inspecting a crime scene and securing the evidence left there. The application was developed in the Unreal Engine 4 environment. The simulator is compatible with virtual reality glasses of different manufacturers. Special VR controllers will enable advanced interaction with the created environment. The application uses a high quality 3D image, allowing the most accurate representation of a real crime scene.
 
The implementation of the project took 6 months and required the involvement of 12 people from Asseco Data Systems and the University of Wrocław. Thanks to its implementation, the „Virtual Crime Scene” can be used by over 500 students per year. In this way, they have gained a valuable tool, which allows them not only to improve their competences and master the procedure of conducting an inspection, but also to feel like in a real crime scene. The university has also launched the Virtual Technology Centre and is planning to implement educational programs based on the VR technology also in other faculties.
 

Key Benefits.

 

The use of the virtual reality technology in the educational process has helped students to acquire practical skills needed for their future professional work. The „Virtual Crime Scene” has also become a very important complement to the theoretical knowledge conveyed in the form of traditional lectures.
 
The implementation of the project has also helped to improve the educational value of the classes by involving a whole group of students. While some of the participants take an active part in the „game”, the others analyze and evaluate their decisions, observing the course of all activities on the screen. The simulator also enables individual educational cycles depending on a scenario planned by a lecturer.
 
„Higher education in Poland has been entering the digital world increasingly more dynamically. I am proud that we have been trusted by another prestigious Polish university and together with the University of Wrocław we will implement and popularize the technology which has already started to revolutionize various fields of science and business, and is now increasingly more often entering our daily lives” – said Andrzej Dopierała, President of the Management Board of Asseco Data Systems.
 
„„Our students will be able to „participate” in examining a crime scene, make a detailed analysis of it. They will only have to put on special goggles. Thanks to two controllers, equivalents of hands in virtual reality, they will collect evidence, secure traces of blood and shells. If they manage to find a code, they will open a safe where they will find more pieces of evidence” – said Damian Mroczyński, Head of the Digitization Section at the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics of the University of Wrocław.
 
„Virtual reality, which has been used in many areas of our lives for several years now, is also an innovative method of teaching. This is particularly important in the process of acquiring practical skills, which complement the knowledge passed on in the form of lectures. The simulator developed by us will help law students learn their official duties, which they will come across in their later work – while conducting an inspection, securing evidence. VR is a solution which offers great application possibilities with relatively small outlays, especially given the fact that thanks to the ongoing NCBR competitions „Integrated School Programs” it is possible to obtain co-financing for such implementations from the EU funds” – said Mariusz Lala, Managing Director of the Training Division in Asseco Data Systems.

MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA: FAIR ACCESS TO INFORMATION.

 

Customer.

 

The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania performs the functions of public administration in the field of public safety, state border protection, emergency assistance and civil protection. The ministry is also responsible for the implementation of public administration reforms and the development of state management systems, civil service, IT and other areas related to its competences.
 

The ministry’s mission is to serve the public and to guarantee a safe, efficient and professional public administration based on information technologies, which will create conditions for sustainable regional development.
 

The ministry was willing to increase the efficiency of the penal process and extend the cooperation in this area between authorities in Lithuania, as well as with other institutions in Latvia and Estonia. Nine institutions participated in the process, each of which used different tools and technologies to organize pre-trial proceedings. This had a negative impact on communication and the effectiveness of information exchange. It also caused duplication of data, as well as low productivity and overloading associated with paper workflows. In addition, it limited the possibility of access to the most recent data, which resulted in a prolonged pre-trial investigation process.
 

The improvement of the cooperation between the institutions required the development of a single solution which could be used by all of them. Therefore, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania decided to cooperate with Asseco Lithuania, a company of the Asseco Group, in order to develop and implement the Integrated Information System of Penal Process (IISPP).
 

Implementation.

 

The biggest challenges during the implementation of the project were related to its complexity and a very wide functional scope of the new solution. In terms of scale, it was the largest project of this type in Lithuania and one of few projects of this size carried out in the European Union.
 

The project covered all penal proceedings: from registering a crime event (by the police or other investigation institutions, like jails, finance crimes investigation services, customs, law enforcement authorities, etc.) to all process actions carried out by the police and the electronic exchange of information between the police, the prosecutor’s office and courts. The IISPP system’s task was also to improve all activities related to penal investigation carried out by the prosecutor’s office, including the cooperation and exchange of information with courts and their employees.
 

In addition, Asseco Lithuania with partners was responsible for the supply and installation of the software, licenses and hardware, the development of the system modules, the modernization of the system used by the police, prosecutor’s office and court, and the integration of IISPP with registers and other systems. The project began in 2013 and was completed in 2015 (warranty support until 2017). In 2017 the IISPP system was modernized in order to meet the new customer needs and functional requirements. Additional integrations, substitution functionality, adaptation to always changing Code of Criminal Procedure were implemented. In 2018 additional module dedicated to handling a high volume content (i.e. video content) and integrated tools for viewing video content were developed.
 

Its implementation ensured the efficient exchange of data between all the institutions involved in the penal process. It also enabled them to effectively create, manage and exchange documents and tasks, search for data and carry out reporting activities. In addition, it improved investigation and pre-trial control, judges’ activities, IISPP user management and event audit. Asseco Lithuania also upgraded the relevant pre-trial systems of the investigative bodies and ensured the integration of the new solution with approximately 15 registers and systems. This created new opportunities for procedural interactions via IT system between police officers, prosecutors and judges. As a result, all penal case files can be signed electronically and transferred between the institutions until action is taken by the court.
 

Project’s results.

 

  • One database and one centralized system for the organization of pre-trial investigations.
  • Common forms, common view of data.
  • Easy and flexible search.
  • Bi-directional data exchange between IISPP and registries and other systems.
  • Basis for data interchange with other countries.
  • Electronic documentation and e-signature.
  • QR code (QuickResponse Code) in documents.
  • Reporting tools.
  • Reminders of the conditions for pre-trial investigations.
  • Access to data according to permissions.

 

Key Benefits.

 

  • One data source for all pre-trial institutions.
  • Handling all pre-trial investigation activities.
  • Archiving of whole data set (documents, photos, videos) from the investigation.
  • Control of compliance with the penal procedure code.
  • Improving data security.
  • Possibility of verification and transparency of pre-trial investigations.
  • Efficient use of resources.

 

Project in numbers.

5,000
transactions executed per hour
10,000
active system users
10
million operations per month
15
registers and systems integrated with the solution
85,000
cases handled annually
04

Public administration