Powered by the Xenturix client and content management server solution, the advanced recording system is operated via a wall-mounted Crestron control panel and a wireless water and heatproof Crestron lanyard system. The Crestron touchpanel is an IP66-rated cabinet to guarantee heat and water resistance.
The core of the recording system is a client PC encoder for each kitchen and a centralised application and content storage server. Both kitchens have waterproof LCD screens that allow lecture-chefs to see the current camera view and review the last recorded content via a hard disk recorder. Two ceiling-mounted cameras in each kitchen capture the live action with pre-set camera positions covering the major working areas, with fine-tuning enabled by pan, tilt and zoom capabilities.
A notable feature of the centralised content management server is that it can be searched by students in terms of date, chef, course code or keyword. Live sessions can also be accessed online by any authorised student from a PC covered by the college’s network.
Steve Goodwin, sales account manager – higher education for Impact, told II: “Allowing the lecturers/chef to control the recording system from anywhere in the kitchen was a challenge that we overcame by integrating the whole system over the IP network. The waterproof lanyard control from Crestron proved to be very effective in the kitchen environment.
“The system is designed to allow chefs to demonstrate key skills live to the catering students and provides playback for immediate review. Students can then access the recorded content at any time via a standard web browser through the college’s network.”
