Some New Tricks

AI-based cameras have some surprises up their sleeve

In the constantly evolving world of AI, you can blink and miss an innovation. This rapid pace of evolution means organizations are under increased pressure to invest in solutions that do not become obsolete a short time after they are installed.

For video security in particular, AI evolutions in machine and deep learning are consistently bringing new products and services to help us do a better job of protecting people and assets. Like our smartphones, features and functions can evolve rapidly when we consider AI apps running on edge devices such as a camera. An app-based ecosystem allows for flexible customization, updates and deployment of features tailored exactly to the job at hand.

For this reason, it has never been more important for companies to seek out vendors and manufacturers with open platforms that collaborate freely with multiple third-party manufacturers.

AI has fundamentally changed video security. We have gone from cameras that can sense basic motion, which were prone to false positives from passing shadows or wind-blown trees, to highly accurate human and vehicle detection with descriptive attributes and real-time alerts in just a couple of years. Further evolution has led to cameras that can detect anomalies in a scene (scene change detection) such as a door being left open, or a vehicle left in a no-parking spot beyond a preset time limit. The same analytics can even notify when stock is running low on shelves.

Modern AI cameras have become flexible IoT devices. And like our smartphones, we can now think of them as platforms for hosting specific applications for the unique job required. What will the product designers and engineers think up next?

How about AI cameras that can be trained to recognize custom objects on site? It is even possible for an AI camera to analyze the video of non-AI network cameras, effectively turning them into “new” AI cameras as well.

Customizable AI On-site Learning
While AI-based security cameras have been able to significantly reduce errors by reliably detecting humans and vehicles for some time, this next phase of AI is irresistible to data-hungry businesses. Customizable AI on-site learning enables integrators and end-users to train a camera’s AI analytics on-site to recognize unique objects that are important for a business to track or count—precisely what so many customers have asked for.

On-site AI training can further enhance accuracy by recognizing logos on vehicles or uniforms, counting planes, forklifts, baby strollers or shopping carts. This new stream of business intelligence data, harvested directly using edge processing within security cameras, enables more automated workflows while increasing operational efficiency and enhancing service quality.

For example, operators could teach the camera to count forklifts or shopping carts passing through the camera’s field of view to provide new metrics about operational efficiency. A hospital can count ambulances arriving at the emergency room. The camera can even be taught to recognize a logo on a truck and send out an alert when it arrives at the loading dock. The best AI on-site learning apps can even auto-generate multiple training images at different luminance values saving operators valuable training time while further increasing detection accuracy.

By processing custom data locally on the edge, AI on-site training removes the need to send sensitive data to the cloud for analysis. This is particularly beneficial for industries handling confidential information, such as healthcare or finance, as it reduces the risk of data breaches and ensures compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.

Extending a Camera’s Life
It is no secret that AI helps security operators effectively monitor hundreds if not thousands of cameras for events of interest. This is so valuable, that it is easy to imagine a not-too-distant future where every camera includes AI capabilities. Today, there are millions of network cameras installed, and most do not have any AI features. While it is possible to send all those streams to servers for external AI processing, it can be much cheaper, faster and more secure to process some of those non-AI streams using existing AI cameras on the edge.

The most recent AI cameras are powerful enough that they can not only analyze their own video streams but can also analyze and extract valuable AI attributes from traditional cameras that lack AI capabilities. This innovative capability allows customers to add AI features to their existing, non-AI, surveillance cameras, including cameras from different manufacturers, making them smarter, more efficient, and able to trigger real-time alerts.

This cost-effective solution improves existing surveillance systems and further reduces false alarms in a phased approach without requiring forklift upgrades. Network cameras which previously had limited AI integration to popular VMSs like Milestone, Genetec and Video Insight can now pass AI metadata exactly as if they were the latest AI model. This is exceptionally powerful for cameras that may be installed in difficult places to retrofit.

The most powerful AI cameras can currently process up to three additional video streams from non-AI cameras. Doing the math, that is one new AI camera turning three traditional network cameras into AI cameras as well.

A Collection of Apps
In the same way our smartphones run a unique and curated collection of apps, modern AI cameras can be considered as platforms that host custom AI applications for the unique tasks required for any organization. Customizable AI on-site learning enables integrators and end-users to train a camera’s AI analytics on-site to recognize unique objects that are important for a business to track or count such as forklifts, shopping carts, or even airplanes.

The most recent AI cameras are so powerful, that they not only analyze and extract AI metadata from their own video streams but can also analyze and enhance traditional cameras with the same AI capabilities. With the rapid pace of AI evolution, make sure that any future investments in physical security are not obsolete mere days after they are installed. Look for open platforms that promote flexibility and customization — a solution that plays well with others.

This article originally appeared in the March / April 2024 issue of Security Today.

Featured

  • Impact on Digital Transformation

    A 2023 Statista report projects that by 2030 there will be 30 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices in use. That is three times as many as there were in 2020. The numbers continue to grow because connecting sensors and systems, especially across a business, promises big efficiency gains and new insights. As such, the IoT and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) have become a launching pad for digital transformation -- not only for individual organizations but for entire industries. Read Now

  • Optimizing Security and Business Performance with Clarity and Control

    In recent years, the security sector has experienced a significant influx of innovative technologies that have fundamentally transformed how organizations design, implement, and oversee their security programs. The widespread adoption of cloud-based infrastructure, edge processing, and AI or machine learning (ML) driven analytics has brought about revolutionary changes in applications such as access control, video surveillance and emerging areas like threat detection and drone identification. Read Now

  • Father of Georgia School Shooting Suspect Charged in Connection With Attack

    Colin Gray, the father of the 14-year-old Georgia school shooting suspect, has also been charged in connection with the attack. The 54-year-old father was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. More charges are expected. Read Now

  • Enhancing Security and Business Intelligence

    From border security to parking lots, ALPR has gained traction across multiple use cases as the technology becomes more accurate and affordable than ever. I spoke with Jason Cook, business development director at Vaxtor, a leader in ALPR AI-based analytics, and Rui Barbosa, category manager, Surveillance Products at i-PRO, a maker of AI-enabled security cameras, to delve into the latest advancements and applications of ALPR technology. Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) has transformed significantly over the years, evolving from a niche technology into a powerful tool for a wide range of applications, particularly in border security. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles. 3