Final Report Pilot Shuttercams ArenA

During the pilot, two crowd monitoring systems were installed at the north side of the area near the stadium as an extension of the current monitoring systems at the south side. The cameras at the north side were outfitted with two custom built shutters, replicating the Shuttercam project at Marineterrein. The test period ran from July 2022 and January 2023.

Curious about the research questions and outcomes of this pilot? The final report is only available in Dutch:

Read the final report Shuttercam pilot ArenA

The Shuttercam project is based on the concept that people do not know if and when cameras in public space are recording or not. In addition, it is often unnecessary to monitor public space 24/7. The Shuttercams near the ArenA area will only run during big events. The shutters visibly cover the cameras at off-peak time. This way, it is clear for all guests, visitors and passers-by when the cameras are monitoring and only the data that is strictly necessary is being collected.

Camera surveillance contributes to our safety and to liveability in public spaces. But there is always a tension with privacy. Finding the right balance is a challenge. This project provides a new perspective and can offer a practical solution.”
— Marvin Fonteijn, Account manager, VCS Observation

The aim of the Shuttercam project near the ArenA is to learn how to scale this privacy-friendly solution for larger public venues. It demonstrates how sensors can collect valuable insights while safeguarding the right of citizens to walk around freely and unobserved.

The Shuttercam project adheres to the principle of data minimization. Within this principle, the ultimate aim is to gather only the required type or amount of data to perform a specific task. Additionally the shutter provides clear communication with regards to the cameras being in use or not.

The first Shuttercam was positioned on the lamp post next to the Strandvlietbrug. The other Shuttercam was assembled on the fly-over at the intersection of the gangway and passage.

The camera’s within this project are part of the City of Amsterdam’s pilot Public Eye: an innovative, open-source part of the Crowd Monitoring System Amsterdam (CMSA). Public Eye is part of the Algorithm Register of the City of Amsterdam (information in Dutch).

Cameras within this pilot are linked to the municipality’s server. An algorithm analyzes the images on the server and instantly converts the images to anonymous numbers. These numbers are forwarded to the City’s officials in order to better regulate traffic. The images are saved nor shown.

The information on crowdedness in the city can be viewed on the City’s webpage Druktebeeld Amsterdam.

The Shuttercam project is executed by Tapp, Life Electronic, VCS and ArenA.

Event calendar

Here you can download the list of events within the ArenA area during which the Shuttercams will be active. The Shuttercams will open 2 hours before each event and close 2 hours after the end time.

Download calender

Pilot Shuttercam in omgeving ArenA

We zijn een nieuwe pilot met twee Shuttercams gestart in de omgeving van Johan Cruijff ArenA.

Responsible Sensing Lab - Shuttercam - Eindrapport ArenA

3 findings Shuttercam pilot ArenA

The Shuttercam project tested two prototypes on location at the Johan Cruijf ArenA in Amsterdam. How do professionals, activists and passersby react to this intervention? Here we dive into 3 results from the experiment.