St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), Missouri's largest aviation hub, has enhanced its surveillance systems to cater to its high passenger throughput of over 15 million annually. In 2025, the airport undertook a major upgrade, introducing a digital 360-degree surveillance solution that covers more than 70 million square feet of infrastructure while reducing complexity and cutting costs.
STL aims to integrate AI-driven applications to further optimise airport operations. Leveraging Dallmeier’s Panomera® multifocal sensor technology, the airport achieved extensive high-resolution coverage with roughly 90% fewer cameras and 75% less infrastructure than initially designed.
Upgraded video security system
Faced with an increase in passenger traffic, STL's Operations and Security Teams initiated a revamp of their video security systems in June 2018. The modernisation targeted two main areas: surface parking facilities to bolster customer safety and airport runways, taxiways, and terminals to monitor aircraft, ground vehicles, and personnel movement. Originally, over 130 PTZ and single sensor IP cameras, requiring 42 new camera poles, were part of the design. However, STL and its security integrator, Tech Electronics, sought a more economical alternative.
However, STL and its security integrator, Tech Electronics, sought a more economical alternative
During their technology evaluation, STL identified Dallmeier's Panomera® technology, specifically created for large spatial area surveillance, to reduce the number of cameras needed. David Kulinsky, Deputy Director of Operations & Maintenance at STL, remarked, "When we discovered Panomera® and saw that one Panomera® camera can capture large areas at high resolution and replace several single-sensor cameras, including the costly infrastructure, it became clear that Panomera® provided STL a more economical solution with higher quality images at a lower overall cost."
User-friendly surveillance
The trial of the new technology demonstrated the superior image quality offered by the Panomera®. Kevin Hubble, Services Manager for STL with Tech Electronics, stated, "I was surprised at how few Panomera® cameras were needed to replace several PTZs and single sensor cameras and display the images in a much more user-friendly format." The SeMSy® Compact VMS software supports easy digital PTZ control within a single high-resolution display, enhancing operational efficiency with fewer cameras deployed.
The deployment resulted in a digital 360-degree surveillance framework that provides situational awareness across critical airside zones such as runways, taxiways, and aprons with just ten Panomera® cameras. This approach offers a seamless high-resolution overview and is a significant departure from traditional methods requiring numerous cameras, simplifying infrastructure needs while optimizing monitoring across expansive areas.
AI integration for operations
STL foresees employing Panomera® technology for operational improvements within terminals
Apart from security, STL foresees employing Panomera® technology for operational improvements within terminals. Planned deployments in ticketing areas involve a Panomera® V8 system integrated with AI features for passenger flow and queue management. These measures are anticipated to improve operational efficiencies and enhance traveller experiences by building on the existing high-resolution surveillance infrastructure.
David Kulinsky at STL summarised the initiative, "Any technology project at an airport must deliver a solution that is operationally efficient, resilient, and built for long-term performance. Our decision to deploy Panomera® cameras significantly enhanced overall surveillance coverage across the airport while reducing the technology and infrastructure footprint required to support it." The implementation also features the ability to achieve detailed zoom without compromising overall scene visibility, offering advantages over traditional PTZ cameras.
Dallmeier's legacy and technology
Dallmeier electronic, founded by Dieter Dallmeier in 1984 in Regensburg, Germany, continues to be a technology innovator in video information systems.
Serving various industries globally, their product range—including the Panomera® multifocal sensor system—offers optimal security solutions. Pioneering developments, such as the introduction of digital image storage with motion analysis and a comprehensive suite of integrated security and analytic systems, affirm Dallmeier's commitment to technology leadership in the market.
As Missouri’s largest and busiest aviation facility, St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) welcomed more than 15 million passengers in 2025. To implement a digital 360-degree surveillance system and secure over 70 million square feet of airport infrastructure, STL required a solution capable of covering vast spatial areas while significantly reducing infrastructure costs and complexity.
At the same time, the airport aims to implement AI-applications to optimise its operations. With Dallmeier’s Panomera® multifocal sensor technology, STL achieved comprehensive high-resolution coverage with approximately 90 % fewer cameras and 75 % less infrastructure compared to the original surveillance design.
Video security system
Due to the continuous growth in passenger numbers, the STL Operations and Security Teams decided to modernise the existing video security system in June of 2018 in two areas: Firstly, in surface parking areas to increase customer safety and eliminate criminal activity such as vandalism and theft. The second solution targeted the airport’s four runways, the taxiways, and all terminal buildings to monitor the activities of aircraft, ground vehicles, and airport personnel.
STL Airport Operations Team contacted their security integrator, Tech Electronics, to design and deploy an updated camera solution. The initial design used a combination of PTZ and single sensor IP cameras and would have required more than 130 cameras in total. From an infrastructure perspective, this would have required the installation of more than 42 new camera poles and the corresponding infrastructure (cable, network, power, etc.). The airside solution required significantly more technology to achieve the desired surveillance coverage. So, STL and Tech Electronics decided to look for another, more economical solution.
Desired surveillance coverage
During their technology search, STL discovered the Dallmeier Panomera® multifocal sensor technology, which was developed specifically for surveillance of large spatial areas using the fewest number of cameras to achieve the required surveillance coverage.
David Kulinsky, Deputy Director of Operations & Maintenance at STL, recalls: “When we discovered Panomera® and saw that one Panomera® camera can capture large areas at high resolution and replace several single-sensor cameras, including the costly infrastructure, it became clear that Panomera® provided STL a more economical solution with higher quality images at a lower overall cost.”
Intuitive user experience
The test installation at the airport proved the image quality of the Panomera®. Kevin Hubble, Services Manager for STL with Tech Electronics, comments: “I was surprised at how few Panomera® cameras were needed to replace several PTZs and single sensor cameras and display the images in a much more user-friendly format. The SeMSy® Compact VMS software enables the user to view a single high-resolution image of the entire scene with simple digital PTZ controls to ‘zoom’ into any part of the image in greater detail. The result is an intuitive user experience resulting in greater operational efficiency – not to mention the superior high resolution video coverage.”
To date, STL has installed more than 27 Panomera® cameras. Multiple IPS 10000 recording appliances and 5 user workstations with the SeMSy® Compact VMS client software complete the video system. Compared to the original planning, this resulted in approximately 90 % reduction in the number of cameras and approximately 75 % reduction in infrastructure required for the installation.
Comprehensive situational awareness
A particular highlight of the deployment is STL’s digital 360-degree surveillance concept. Using only ten Panomera® cameras, the airport achieves comprehensive situational awareness across large airside areas including runways, taxiways and apron operations.
Unlike conventional camera concepts that require numerous PTZ and single-sensor cameras, Panomera® delivers a complete high-resolution overview in a single seamless image. This enables operators to monitor critical airport activities more efficiently across large spatial areas, while significantly reducing infrastructure complexity, maintenance effort and overall operating costs.
AI-based video analysis
Beyond security applications, STL is also evaluating Panomera® technology for operational process optimisation inside the terminals. As part of a planned deployment in the ticketing area, a Panomera® V8 system will support AI-based video analysis functions such as passenger flow and waiting time analysis.
The objective is to improve operational efficiency, optimise check-in processes and enhance the passenger experience — while leveraging the same high-resolution surveillance infrastructure already deployed throughout the airport.
Video information technology
David Kulinsky with STL summarises: “Any technology project at an airport must deliver a solution that is operationally efficient, resilient, and built for long-term performance. Our decision to deploy Panomera® cameras significantly enhanced overall surveillance coverage across the airport while reducing the technology and infrastructure footprint required to support it.”
“The system also provides the ability to zoom into specific areas without sacrificing full-scene situational awareness or recording capabilities—an operational advantage over traditional PTZ cameras, which only record the field of view being actively monitored and can limit broader operational visibility.”
In 1984, Dieter Dallmeier founded what is now Dallmeier electronic – not in the proverbial garage, but in a garden shed in Regensburg, Germany. Today, the company, which can justifiably call itself a hidden champion for video information technology "Made in Germany", has several hundred employees worldwide, more than 250 of them at the company headquarters in the center of Regensburg alone.
Digital image storage system
Dallmeier's camera, recording, software, and analysis solutions optimise security and processes for B2B end customers in a wide range of industries in over 60 countries. The focus is on users from the casino, smart city, airports, logistics, stadiums, and industrial sectors. But also, banks, critical infrastructure facilities as well as medium-sized companies from all sectors.
With pioneering innovations, Dallmeier has succeeded time and again in placing itself at the forefront of technology: From the world's first digital image storage system with motion analysis in 1992, the patented "multifocal sensor technology" Panomera® with its "Mountera®" mounting system, to the latest Domera® camera family, which allows up to 300 camera variants with only 18 components.
Complete manufacturing process
These and many other innovations provide real, tangible customer benefits. And with a low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and a high Return on Investment (ROI) they can easily compete with systems produced and supplied from low-wage countries.
With "Made in Germany", we also guarantee our customers the highest standards in data protection, cybersecurity, and ethical responsibility. With high quality and short supply chains, we also ensure – almost incidentally – sustainability and environmental protection. From our prestigious headquarters in the center of Regensburg, Dallmeier not only carries out its own research and development but also the complete manufacturing process – from component to product to solution.
