Pictures of the Future    Spring 2006

Technology for Champions

Siemens delivers complete infrastructure solutions for major sports events all over the world. And it will also be on hand for the 2006 soccer World Cup. In fact, experts from Siemens have been preparing for years for this major sporting event. All 12 of the German World Cup stadiums are now equipped with the latest Siemens technology—from banks of floodlights and security systems to smart traffic management systems for surrounding areas.

The time is 5:55 p.m. on June 9, 2006, and we’re in the Allianz Arena in Munich to watch Germany against Costa Rica—the opening game of the World Cup. As the shouting in the stadium dies down and soccer fans from all over the world wait impatiently for the kickoff, tension is high for the security staff, emergency crews, police and stadium staff. All of them are relying on Siemens technology in the background—but most of them are not aware it even exists.

"All 12 World Cup stadiums are ready," said Thomas Brodocz, head of the World Cup 2006 project office at Siemens, back in January. "We’ve come up with customized solutions for each one. We’ve installed building and security technology, fire detection systems, video monitoring, lighting and access control systems. In addition, there are traffic management systems around the sports venues, parking management, and the IT and telecommunications technology that we’ve fitted into almost all of the stadiums." Siemens worked on these projects with the German Football Association (DFB), the stadium operators, municipal authorities and suppliers in order to comply with the high standards of the Féderation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

The Allianz Arena in Munich is a special case because it’s the only stadium that was built from scratch to accommodate new technologies. Ever since the stadium’s shell was completed in January 2004, Siemens has been actively involved. Siemens-Elin Project Director Ferdinand Reisinger points to some of the technology highlights the company has been responsible. "Both the energy supply and the IT infrastructure are protected by backup systems," he says. If one of the systems fails, the other one seamlessly takes over. "And the density of the supply system is also unique," he adds. "It comprises 4,000 km of cables and 800 km of fiber-optic components for data transmission."

But what really thrills Reisinger is the light distribution within the stadium’s transparent "skin." A spectacular system of 25,400 lamps from Siemens subsidiary Osram illuminate this skin, which measures 24,000 m²—in white, blue or red light, depending on the occasion. Those are the colors of Munich’s two soccer clubs, Bayern Munich and TSV 1860. Siemens worked with Siteco to design special new lamps for the "pillowcase" look of the Allianz Arena that develop a minimum of heat and also have fewer combustible plastic parts. As a result, the lighting meets official fire prevention requirements.

For the access control points, Siemens worked with Austrian company Skidata to install new turnstiles that can process different types of tickets, including the new World Cup tickets, with integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips. There’s no need for direct contact. The tickets will be read by radio at a distance of ten centimeters. Within seconds, the ticket holder's data will be compared with information in the ticket marketer’s database. Other control points will allow specific ticket holders to enter certain high-security and VIP areas of the stadium. "At the World Cup we’ll also be using 80 portable ticket readers that compare the information on the tickets with the database via wireless LAN," says Reisinger.

Historic Stadium. In Berlin, Siemens faced a very different challenge. There, the World Cup final will be played on July 9, before more than 74,000 spectators in the Olympic Stadium, Germany’s largest and oldest sports arena. Built of solid sandstone, it was opened for the Olympic Games in 1936 and today is a protected historic monument. In the summer of 2000, the stadium was upgraded at a cost of 242 mill. € to meet modern requirements. "This facility embodies the perfect symbiosis of architecture and technology," says Detlef Reichenbacher, Technical Director at Olympiastadion Berlin GmbH. In no other stadium, he explains, is the technology as invisible as it is there. There’s hardly a loudspeaker, floodlight, electric cable or security camera in sight. Almost everything is concealed beneath the 3,500-t roof, which is open on one side and rests on 22 pillars.

"This invisible technology is the result of the outstanding cooperation between experts on the preservation of historical monuments, architects Gerkan, Marg und Partner, and engineers from Siemens," says Reichenbacher. "We integrated much of the security, media and communications technology by means of more than 300 km of cable," says Thorsten Müller, head of the Olympic Stadium project at Siemens. That includes two sound systems with more than 2,300 loudspeakers for announcements in the stands and the rooms in the stadium’s interior. Here, Siemens worked closely with Berlin-based event engineering company TSE, which supplied the stadium’s digitally controlled sound system. The two systems are integrated into a single network by means of optical fiber cables. "The old system wasn’t approved for digital data transfer," says Müller. "But new fireproof optical fiber cables solved that problem."

Faster Assistance. Equally sophisticated is the Siemens safety management system, which directs all fault messages to a single clearinghouse. Smoke and motion detectors, emergency alarm systems and other sensors are linked into a network with surveillance cameras and monitors. It’s a big advantage to have a single platform that combines subsystems manufactured by various suppliers. "That makes it easier for our security staff to use the systems," explains Müller. The platform tells security personnel what the problem is and the fastest way to get there. "Security guards can intervene faster because the visual depictions of the fault messages in the control center are linked with precise instructions on how to cope with each situation," Müller adds. Siemens also installed security technology for the police, including video surveillance inside and outside the stadium, plus a control center located high above the stands. "With nearly invisible special cameras we can sweep across the stadium and zoom in on a five-seat area," Müller states.

Finding the Best Route. The four-week World Cup will generate a lot of movement, not only in the 12 stadiums but also on Germany’s highways and public transportation systems. Tens of thousands of people will be flocking to the stadiums or big screens in city centers and then returning home, causing enormous "rush hours." But that doesn’t bother Siemens expert Ludwig Ramachers, who is in charge of the Ruhrpilot traffic management system in the Ruhr region (see Pictures of the Future, Fall 2005, The Road to Telematic Travel). "The system will enter service at the end of May," he says. "Step by step, we’re recording data on the traffic flow to and from the stadiums, in the city centers and on the highways, so that we can bring fans to their destinations quickly and guide other drivers past the congestion by means of detours."

In the Ruhr region, Europe’s largest conurbation, up to six million people are on the road every day. The World Cup stadiums in Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund are located here. "We’re going to install 100 additional Traffic Eye sensors along the key access routes," says Ramachers. "They’ll use infrared technology to measure traffic density, direction and speed." During the World Cup, this data will be combined with information from the traffic control centers in the Ruhr region, the Rhein-Ruhr Public Transport Authority and the parking system in the Ruhrpilot control center. "We’ll use this information to determine the current traffic situation and notify people via radio and the Internet of the best route and the best mode of transport," says Ramachers. This dynamic traffic information system will optimally prepare the Ruhr region for the throngs of soccer fans. In Dortmund, Ruhrpilot already provides a traffic guidance system that, with the help of specially allocated lanes, helps drivers find the stadium. The system was installed by Siemens and is administered by the city’s traffic management center. In Gelsenkirchen, the area around the stadium has traffic lights equipped with smart software that reroutes traffic as needed. All of the World Cup cities and stadiums, their security personnel and the fans are already benefitting from advanced technologies . But that’s just an appetizer compared to the mega-event that is about to be kicked off this summer when the World Cup gets going.
                                                                                                               Nikola Wohllaib