Case study: Advanced healthcare training with AREC at SIMNOVA, Italy

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we have a case study from SIMNOVA, a centre for healthcare studies at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy. Completed by our distributor Prase Engineering, and integrators Tagliabue Sistemi and Tecnovox, the university’s setup ensures continuous 24/7 streaming from the operational rooms and automatic backup to Google Drive. Read how it was done below.

The Interdepartmental Centre for Innovative Teaching and Simulation in Medicine and Health Professions, known as SIMNOVA, was established several years ago at the University of Eastern Piedmont. Its mission is to conduct research in the healthcare sector, provide advanced training and related programs aimed at improving the quality of care, enhancing patient safety and minimisation of their health risks. To achieve these goals, SIMNOVA offers a wide range of courses in numerous subject areas, which are delivered in specially equipped simulation rooms. The university required an easy-to-use solution that could connect these rooms, record the operations, and upload them to cloud storage. Thanks to the efforts of our partners, the AREC Media Capture System was proposed and successfully implemented, along with audio systems from Shure.

There are a total of 6 simulation rooms at SIMNOVA, and AREC systems are utilised in all of them. Depending on the number of video inputs, a different AREC station is used for recording the operations. In rooms with 4 video inputs, the university uses LS-860 stations, while LS-300 models are employed in those with fewer sources. These stations capture audio and video content from various medical devices and microphone arrays, combine it with network camera feeds, and mix them into videos with custom layouts. In the control room, the operator can select any of these mixed Media Station streams and view them through the DS-X01 Media Decoder. This setup ensures continuous streaming from the operational rooms, and the graphical user interface (GUI) present on the DS-X01 lets the operator easily switch between different room views with a single touch.

LS-300 Media Station

LS-860 Media Station

DS-X01 Media Decoder

The chief technician responsible for the AV systems at SIMNOVA, Antonio Scalogna, shared the following regarding the installation:

With AREC, I can schedule each session and manage video recording backups in a highly flexible manner. Of course, I can also send the recordings to the instructors who conducted the simulations through Google Drive. Since the Center acquired AREC, I use it practically every day to fine-tune the streaming graphics and discover new features.

With the system in place, each training and simulation done at SIMNOVA is recorded and saved for further study and other purposes, ensuring that the goals of the university are achieved. Would you like to recreate this experience for your university? Reach out to us at www.a-dena.com, and we will be happy to discuss it with you.

Case Study: Kazakh National University expands with AREC

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we are sharing a case study from the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. This university is already an experienced user of AREC systems, and now, thanks to the assistance of our partner STEPLine and system integrator Alceza, it added AREC Lecture Capture and Auto-Tracking to the law department auditorium to record and stream classes.

The university, also known as KazNU, first learned about AREC in 2018 when it was looking for innovative learning solutions that could help it increase its standards of teaching and simplify its media work. Since then, it has purchased and used various elements of the AREC Media Capture System, including KL-3W, LS-2, and LS-200 Media Stations, DS-4CU Speaker Tracking Stations, and AREC MSR platform. AREC systems proved to be reliable and user-friendly, replacing previous software-based solutions with ease. Taking this positive experience and the advice of our partner STEPLine, KazNU chose to install more AREC systems in its other faculties and auditoriums, starting with one of the law department auditoriums.

For this expansion, the university purchased a KL-3WT Media Station and a CI-T21H IR Auto-Tracking Camera. The inbuilt screen of the 3-channel KL-3WT model makes it so that the lecturers are always aware of what is being recorded and streamed. The graphical user interface on the screen also helps the lecturers quickly adjust which video sources are used, start and stop recording and streaming, and export recorded videos on a flash drive among other functions. The station takes the video output from a smart lectern and a CI-T21H camera mounted on a wall bracket. Its third channel is kept open in case a document camera or a second computer is required. The combined videos produced by the station are streamed to the university’s YouTube channel where they are available via private links.

As for the CI-T21H, it makes sure that the lecturers are always in view of the camera and allows them to focus on the class at hand. Moreover, the camera stays on the lecturers even if students enter the field of view since it is looking only for the AM-600 positioner - a particularly important feature when it comes to tracking in lecture halls.

The new installation in KazNU improves the experience for both lecturers and students.

Would you like to know how your university can use AREC? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to discuss your requirements.

Text: Anastasia Yakimenko

Case Study: Increase your Student Reach - CESA Colombia Experience

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we would like to share a case study from a prestigious Colombian College of Higher Administration Studies known as CESA. Thanks to our partner Integración AV, the college equipped several classrooms with complete sets of AREC Media Capture Systems. Learn how the college utilizes our products below.

CESA is ranked as one of the top universities in Colombia, and a very selective one at that, with just around 20 to 30% admission rate. It is a trendsetter in the higher education of the country, having many research and student exchange agreements in place with other institutions and attracting students from all over the world. The college heavily relies on AV technology to provide the best quality of education possible to its students.

However, the original AV equipment present in the college required an update for a number of reasons. Teachers had to stand in a very small area to be properly captured by the cameras, which took away from the liveliness of their classes. Remote students also struggled, since they did not have a convenient way of attending classes remotely. Thus, CESA started looking for a system that could alleviate these problems and integrate well with other audiovisual technologies present in their lecture halls. With the help of Integración AV, they found AREC Media Capture System.

CESA updated a total of 28 classes with AREC Media Stations LS-300, CI-21H Network Cameras, and RADA A-TC01 Auto-Tracking Cameras. LS-300 is a 3-channel model that takes both of these cameras as network sources and arranges them in a mixed layout with an additional computer source. Teachers find it very easy to operate LS-300 thanks to the GUI produced by this station. They can turn on recording and streaming with just one button, completely change their presentation look with themes, and they do not need to worry about making the recordings of lectures visible to students, since these are automatically backed up on the college’s server. Moreover, A-TC01 cameras allow teachers to freely move around the room and engage their students better. The camera’s tracking algorithm makes it certain that the teacher will always remain the camera’s tracking target, regardless of the students in the room. Lastly, CI-21H Network Cameras capture the audience in high quality and ensure that students watching the lecture recordings are not missing a single detail. Apart from the AREC and RADA products, Integración AV also helped CESA with projectors, ceiling speaker systems, displays, wireless content-sharing tools, and a number of other devices that are working perfectly with the Media Capture System.

With the new hardware in place, the college is now properly equipped to reach students from abroad and increase its education quality. Would you like to know more about how AREC systems can be used in your institution? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to arrange a demonstration for you.