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Custom Projects

Remote Control Camera System

HGL's unique mix of skills and enthusiasms were needed on a project to develop the next generation of remotely-operated TV studio camera platforms. These camera control heads, traditionally operated using RS-232 serial links, can move in pan, tilt, zoom and focus axes, and must move sufficiently smoothly to allow for movement from one position to another while transmitting broadcast-quality images.

HGL Dynamics was selected by the customer because of our experience in software design and development and our experience of interfacing with hardware. The system was designed to operate over Ethernet, storing all camera positions (shots) in an SQL database. Multiple touch-screen user control stations can select shots from the database and command the cameras to move to their new positions.

The sophistication of the design allows sequences of shots to be played in turn, causing the camera to move continuously from one position, through others, to a final position. Also, multiple cameras may be commanded to move simultaneously, starting and finishing their movements together. In addition, users could override a programmed move by adding extra movement via a manual joystick interface. This required recalculating the movement profile of the cameras in real time.

HGL has developed a world-class data-mining product called FastLinks. FastLinks is an example of an emerging technology based around associative databases. An associative database is different from a traditional relational database in a wide number of ways outside of the scope of this discussion, which mean that superior navigation performance can be achieved for very large databases. The speed of searching using FastLinks is hundreds of time faster than standard SQL queries on relational databases.

Associative databases can be used in conjunction with a relational database to provide "structureless" navigation routes through the metadata for access over the Internet. Associative databases are generally a fraction of the size of the database to which they relate.

HGL has used FastLinks for a number of data-mining projects including supporting legacy Oracle databases, in a wide range of applications.

FastLinks was wholly developed within HGL.

Distributed Automated Printing Data Station

This project consisted of the design and implementation of a new distributed system for controlling an automated system for fast printing of consumer item packaging on a factory production line. The user control station was connected via network links to a minimum of four print stations, each of which was responsible for printing of a single colour. The system was required to print images in each component colour in a pre-defined sequence, synchronising each print head together, and then synchronising with the factory production line system as well.

Information Flow Tracer

This project consisted of a logistical problem-solving system to find the minimum flow route for specific pieces of information between connected nodes which were capable of receiving and storing various types of information. The system was pre-programmed with an XML-based description of the various nodes present in the simulation of a large and complex organisation, together with a description of what forms of information could be transmitted from one node to another.

Given this information, the system was then required to solve the minimum journey distance (in terms of number of nodes traversed) for a given piece of information to reach a specified destination node from a user-supplied starting node.

HGL provided consultancy services into the implementation and improvement of navigation systems operating from terrain-based corrections to inertial navigation systems. The heart of the system consisted of a comparison technique between real-time sensor data and pre-stored reference data to calculate the gradual offset between the position obtained from the inertial navigation system and the true position.

Sales and Purchasing Inventory System

HGL has developed a Sales, Purchasing and Delivery product (SPUDs) for sale to wholesalers of perishable items for the catering and retail industries.

The idea of SPUDs is to provide integrated sales, purchasing and delivery IT facilities to small/medium sized companies who cannot support a dedicated IT team.

The software is designed to allow simple entry of orders via the telephone, fax and email. The GUI is designed to allow virtually any staff member, whether they are computer-literate or not, to enter data.

A full set of reports can be produced from the embedded Interbase database allowing the owners of the company to determine stock levels, profit margins, profitable/loss-making delivery routes, debtors and creditors etc.

The database is capable of holding several hundred lines of stock items and of handling many thousands of transactions per year.