Museums and Galleries

Museums and galleries protect more than physical spaces. They are responsible for safeguarding collections, artefacts and works of significant cultural and financial value, and are often targeted by both opportunistic and organised crime. 
Threats can come from a perimeter breach, forced entry, roof access, unauthorised movement through back-of-house areas or across open grounds after hours. In each case, early detection is critical to help security teams respond quickly and reduce the risk of theft, damage or disruption.
OPTEX detection sensing technologies can support comprehensive protection across the site perimeter, building approach, roofline and internal spaces, helping museums and galleries strengthen security around both buildings and collections. 

Museums and galleries often have complex perimeters, including boundary fences, walls, courtyards, service entrances and open public grounds. During the day, these areas need to remain accessible. After closing, they become the first line of defence.

A layered perimeter strategy can help detect activity before an intruder reaches the building, roofline or collection areas.
REDSCAN Pro LiDAR can support highly accurate and reliable detection along fence lines, walls and restricted external zones. Installed above or alongside existing boundaries, it can identify  climbing, reaching or unauthorised entry without affecting the appearance of the site.

For fence line protection, Fiber Defender detects vibration and movement caused by climbing, cutting or attempted breaches. The fibre optic cable follows the fence line, turning the boundary into an active detection zone. When an event occurs, the system helps security teams identify the point of intrusion and respond before the threat reaches the building.

Used together, REDSCAN Pro and Fiber Defender add an additional layer of perimeter protection, providing security teams with earlier warning and greater situational awareness in order to respond quickly and appropriately to intrusion. 

Roof intrusion is a proven risk for cultural sites, particularly where skylights, roof glazing, and elevated access points can be used to bypass ground-level security to reach exhibition halls and storage areas.

REDSCAN LiDAR can create virtual detection zones around skylights, roof edges, vents, and hatches, helping to identify any climbing, tampering, or opening attempts at an early stage, enabling security to respond.

Skylights and roof openings create detection challenges that traditional technologies struggle to handle, with performances affected by changes in light or heat conditios, as well as ensuring complete coverage. LiDAR solves this problem with precision. It uses laser measurement, not heat or light, ensuring consistent performance regardless of sunlight, shadows, or temperature changes. A single sensor can map the entire skylight volume and create a defined detection area that fully covers the space. 

For smaller skylights and roof hatches, REDSCAN RLS-2020S creates tight, accurate detection zones. The sensors can be mounted close to the opening and define precise areas around frames, edges, and access points.

For longer, linear roof areas, infrared beam technology can provide an additional later of protection across roof edges, walkways and maintenance routes. OPTEX AX Series and OPTEX SL Series are designed to secure extended roof spans, creating a defined, invisible line between transmitter and receiver. When that line is broken, an alarm is triggered. Beam sets deliver stable performance over distance and are effective in outdoor environments. Multi-beam models reduce false alarms from small birds or debris, which is important for exposed roof installations.

Used together, LiDAR and beams help strengthen coverage, with fewer gaps and clearer detection zones, across rooftops, complex openings and access paths.

High-value artworks, sculptures and artefacts require controlled and reliable protection inside the building. Internal detection should help identify approach, tampering, and unauthorised handling without disrupting the visitor experience.

For museums and galleries, this can include protecting public display areas, back-of-house spaces, archive rooms, temporary exhibition zones and storage areas. Once an intruder reaches the object itself, the opportunity to intervene becomes much smaller, so early detection around the asset is critical. 

In practice, that may mean creating defined protection around individual paintings, sculptures or display cases, monitoring access between areas or bespoke solutions where layouts and visitor flow may change from one installation to the next. 

REDSCAN LiDAR can create virtual walls around individual pieces, displays, storage racks and restricted internal areas, generating alerts when someone crosses into a protected space or reaches toward an object. This enables security teams to protect assets, display areas and internal routes without creating a physical barrier that affects the visitor experience. 

It can also support protection in spaces where museums and galleries need a balance between security and presentation, such as spaces with open visitor access, controlled lighting or sensitive layouts where more visible, physical security measures are not appropriate. 

For lower traffic rooms, cabinets, archive spaces and other controlled areas within the building, indoor PIR sensors, such as the OPTEX FlipX Series, can provide stable motion detection with flexible coverage to suit different room layouts.  

Used together, these technologies can support a layered internal security strategy, helping museums and galleries protect both visitor-facing spaces and restricted collection areas while improving verification and response.