Proven durability: what the wind tunnel reveals about our cameras

Simulating the extreme to secure reality

Before reaching critical sites, our equipment faces conditions that even nature can't always replicate. The wind tunnel allows us to test the limits: those of the mast, the support, the mounting system, and, above all, the image. At 120 km/h, it's no longer the video we're watching; it's its coherence amidst the chaos.

This series of tests allowed us to measure optical stability in turbulent conditions: no blur, no shift, no flutter. The Axis Q1798 camera, coupled with our mounting architecture, maintains a perfectly usable image beyond 110 km/h, with peaks at 124 km/h. Thanks to onboard stabilization sensors and an optimized ballast system, the assembly reacts better to micro-oscillations. All measurements were consolidated on a performance grid, directly reinjected into our product roadmap.

This isn't the first time we've tested our systems in extreme conditions. On some mountain projects, partner weather stations have already alerted us to gusts of up to 130 km/h. The advantage of the wind tunnel is that it can reproduce these conditions in a stable, repeatable, and measurable manner. And that's exactly what an STVS standard requires: not depending on the weather to anticipate the unpredictable.

Designing smart, wind-proof systems

The goal wasn't just to test. It was to learn. Every vibration recorded, every stress measured, feeds into our R&D approach. By cross-referencing the results with field data from more than 200 active outdoor installations in Switzerland, we validated a series of structural and logical adjustments.

Concrete lessons learned include: the orientation of the photovoltaic panels, optimization of tightening torques on the lateral fasteners, and adjustments to the optical stabilization in the camera. The result? A reduced drift rate over two hours of recording in intermittent wind conditions.

These adjustments aren't just technical. They reflect our ability to connect field requirements, system architecture, and product strategy. The R&D team has integrated new validation loops with our partners to identify abnormal behavior. Each weak signal becomes an opportunity for increased stabilization. And it's this collective rigor, rooted in reality, that fuels our capacity for innovation.

Towards an STVS robustness standard

This type of testing protocol is not yet widespread in our sector. And that's precisely why we do it. It allows us to anticipate high-stress situations, whether they involve high-altitude construction sites, highly exposed urban areas, or busy industrial environments.

Rather than waiting for incident feedback, we prefer to model, test, and refine. This early testing approach has allowed us to save nearly 10 TP3T of installation time on projects delivered since January 2025, and to reduce post-delivery interventions on these same sites by nearly half. Fewer corrections, more confidence, a picture that holds the frame. This is what we call, internally, an STVS standard. And each wind tunnel test brings us closer to embodying this requirement.

Ultimately, these efforts have a clear objective: to develop systems capable of combining mechanical stability, optical precision, and embedded intelligence, while remaining simple to deploy. This triptych—stability, readability, modularity—has become our foundation for action for critical outdoor installations. This approach is already attracting several local authorities and industrial groups in French-speaking Switzerland, where extreme weather specifications are becoming increasingly important issues in the era of climate change.

Sources

* Internal STVS data (wind tunnel tests, April 2025)

* Axis Communications, Q1798-LE datasheet

* INSA Lyon, “Aerodynamic effects on fixed structures in urban environments”, 2022

* STVS Identity Workshop (2024)

* ARQIVIS Q1 2025 report, monitoring of outdoor installations