Video Analytics or Smart CCTV are commercial terms for Video Content Analysis (VCA) in the security domain. Also known as IVS (Intelligent Video Surveillance), VCA is the capability of automatically analyzing video to detect and determine temporal events, allowing its users to easily monitor and secure areas with security cameras. With this new state of the art technology, businesses can easily monitor places of interest with sophisticated software that makes detecting threats or unwanted visitors simple and effective.
Intelligent Video Surveillance consists of algorithms that detect movement or changes,by examining each pixel of the video and putting together all the pixel changes, in live and recorded video to see whether the movement or changes mean a possible threat is about to occur, occuring or occured. This technical capability is used in a wide range of domains including entertainment, health care, retail, automotive, transport, domotica, safety and security. The algorithms can be implemented as software on general purpose machines, or as hardware in specialized video processing units.
Many different functionalities can be implemented in VCA. Video Motion Detection is one of the simpler forms where motion is detected with regard to a fixed background scene. More advanced functionalities include video tracking and egomotion estimation.
Based on the internal representation that VCA generates in the machine, it is possible to build other functionalities, such as identification, behavior analysis or other forms of situation awareness.
VCA relies on good input video, so it is often combined with video enhancement technologies such as video denoising, image stabilization, unsharp masking and super-resolution.
Function Description
Dynamic Masking Blocking a part of the video signal based on the signal itself, for example because of privacy concerns.
Egomotion estimation Egomotion estimation is used to determine the location of a camera by analyzing its output signal.
Motion detection Motion detection is used to determine the presence of relevant motion in the observed scene.
Object detection Object detection is used to determine the presence of a type of object or entity, for example a person or car. Other examples include fire and smoke detection.
Recognition Face recognition and Automatic Number Plate Recognition are used to recognize, and therefore possibly identify persons or cars.
Style detection Style detection is used in settings where the video signal has been produced, for example for television broadcast. Style detection detects the style of the production process.
Tamper detection Tamper detection is used to determine whether the camera or output signal is tampered with.
Video tracking Video tracking is used to determine the location of persons or objects in the video signal, possibly with regard to an external reference grid.
Commercial applications
VCA is an emerging technology. New applications are frequently found, however the track record of different types of VCA differs widely. Functionalities such as motion detection and people counting are widely available.
In many domains VCA is implemented on CCTV systems, either distributed on the camera's (at-the-edge) or centralized on dedicated processing systems.
The quality of VCA in the commercial setting depends on many variables such as use case, implementation, system configuration and computing platform.
Video Analytics enhance the effectiveness of video surveillance by automating the task of monitoring video and detecting events. Some of the capabilities of analytics include detection of:
- Perimeter intrusion with directional analysis
- Gangs or groups of people forming
- Unattended or object left behind
- Theft, object removed
- People loitering
- Vandalism and graffiti
Perimeter and intrusion detection systems can be important elements to securing sensitive facilities. Industries such as power, water, and other government agencies may require perimeter protection in order to ensure that intruders do not gain entry.
Any organization that has facilities, employees or information to protect such as schools, corporate campuses and government buildings can benefit from an intrusion detection system. saXon can help you to determine the specific intrusion and perimeter detection solution that best suits your facility and situation.
