ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY
Cameras streaming IP
video make it relatively easy to add analytic technology to a
new or existing surveillance system, says Michael Godfrey,
Visual Defence's chief technology officer. Since the raw data
is in a digital format already, intelligent video analysis technology can be dropped into the system easily. "I can put my
analytic server anywhere within the network," Godfrey says.
Thanks to faster and more powerful processors, it's now
possible to build analytic capabilities directly into surveillance cameras. Lumenera, for example, has introduced a
series of cameras that use Texas Instruments' DaVinci digital
video technology to deliver advanced image processing, compression, and video analytics.
"The cameras themselves are getting more intelligent," Godfrey says. Also, many "smart" cameras now support downloadable analytics modules produced by third-party vendors.
This lets system owners use a module designed for a particular
task, such as body movement analysis or object tracking.
"You're not tied with one specific type," Godfrey notes. Different modules can be distributed to various cameras across
the system, wherever a particular capability is needed.
Whether it's camera-based or server-based, analytics has its
limits despite these advances. Even the most sophisticated algorithms running on the most powerful processors can have trouble coping with busy, visually complex environments—the
types of places authorities most want to monitor.
"If you put it into a urban area, like New York City, there's
so much going on at once it's almost like it overloads the
brain," Vining says. "But if you have a defined area to monitor, it can work very well." Even so, intelligent video analysis
can still be tricked into registering false alerts.
"I might be standing outside the airport waiting for somebody to pick me up," Sarangan says. "It might look like I'm
loitering, but I'm not doing anything wrong." Yet system
users are generally willing to tolerate the occasional false
positive as the price they must pay for not overlooking a possibly serious situation, notes Vining.
Network capacity is another concern. "If you're streaming
[video] across the network, it's about 2 Mbytes/s," Sarangan
says. That means a system with 100 cameras needs to move
nearly 200 Mbytes every second. Since many large-footprint
installations like mass transit systems can require thousands
of cameras, network costs can quickly mount. "That's a lot
of data to be streaming across a network," Sarangan says.
EXPANDING MARKET
As intelligent video analysis
becomes more widely available at ever lower price points, the
technology is filtering down to a wide array of enterprises.
"We have seen strong demand for the technology from specialty retailers, jewelry stores, and even supermarkets," says Jon
Bolen, chief technology officer of Westec Interactive ().
Retailers can use intelligent video analysis to detect
shoplifters. Casinos can tap the tools to spot cheaters. And,
theme parks often turn to smart cameras to identify and
locate lost children.
It could even be a powerful business tool. Stores can judge
which floor displays are most popular with shoppers, while
fast food restaurants can better assess their staffing needs by
monitoring crowd sizes throughout the day.
Industry players believe most people are willing to give up a
little privacy, at least in public, in return for enhanced security.
Vining believes intelligent video analysis systems are destined
to pop up in an ever growing number of public spaces.
"It's what the world is coming to," Vining says.
For more, see "Lip-Reading Technology Knows What You Said".