As the quantity of video surveillance cameras grows exponentially around the globe, many security practitioners are asking, "How do I know which camera I should be watching? "What if I'm not actively watching my cameras and something happens?"
Most systems are rather small and/or are used forensically when something has already happened and now the time for investigation has come.
In other cases, there are times when the camera operator or the front desk staff managing a large system is simply looking at the wrong camera or is tending to other tasks.
So, let's use a warehouse situation. Perhaps the front desk/reception staff is tasked with everything from greeting visitors to watching security cameras. As a visitor is being processed, someone walks along the outside of the building in a restricted zone. How would the guard know to watch what is happening?
As another example, perhaps a system being monitored that has a few hundred cameras. How does your staff know which handful of the several hundred cameras available need to be watched for specific behaviors?
One of the tools for this challenge is to call cameras up on the operator's screen that are observing motion activity. The motion causes an alarm that is internal to the Video Management System (VMS) and can cause a camera to be brought up on the screen. Perhaps a beep or some other indication to catch the operator's attention can be initiated. This is a viable option, but there could be an awful lot of motion going on at the facility during business hours.
The next level of specificity is to deploy video analytics. Analytics can graduate your system from basic motion detection capability to what I like to call "behavior analysis". The difference is that motion is determined by simple pixel change. Whereas video analytics bring behavior into consideration. For example, someone is allowed to walk in Area 1 without causing an alarm, but if they enter Area 2 that is a no-go zone. Perhaps we want to know if someone is loitering by the front door after hours.
So now we have a smart alarm. This is a great step. But what now? How do I make sure that the system is doing it's best to keep an eye on "bad behavior" if the operator is over tasked or the system is not manned, for example, after hours?
There are two consdierations on the table. And if you ask another 10 people, they will likely have 10 other suitable and valid suggestions.
Here's where having a trusted security adviser is critical.
The first option I have seen take a giant leap in capability is the functionality of a Bosch pan-tilt-zoom camera which can "lock onto" a specific target and automatically track the target's activity. In the scene below, you can see that a subject leaves a door, perhaps an emergency exit, and no one is watching the security cameras. The camera in that area notices the unauthorized behavior and automatically tracks the subject. Note when you watch the video below that the camera is even smart enough not to be distracted by a new, larger moving object in the scene, which is the vehicle driving down the road. The PTZ camera uses video analytics inside of the camera to automatically lock onto the suspect and not let go.
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Another option to consider is when you haven't deployed PTZ cameras, but rather have deployed fixed position cameras. I recently saw a solution by Mirasys that, with the help of the same type of "behavior analysis", causes the fixed camera to go into an alarm condition. The Mirasys VMS software digitally zooms the camera on the operator's PC workstation monitor and highlights the activity in the scene. This is particularly helpful if you have high resolution cameras with a wide field of view such as in a parking lot or in a warehouse loading area. The entire camera scene is recorded, but the "area of interest" is highlighted and followed so that the security system operator knows what to look for and can remain hands-off while activating 9-1-1, security, or other response personnel.
I see convergence of formerly expensive, disconnected technologies. The integration of these technologies is now delivering leveraged, smart solutions to security practitioners, business owners, and corporate leaders...at a lower price than ever. It's quite exciting to witness.
Learn more about using behavior detection technologies to reduce storage costs
Learn about key questions to narrow down the video management system selection process
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