Long before COVID-19 forced governments to impose restrictions on businesses and individuals, the video surveillance industry began its search for ways to reduce the need for labor. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have been a key factor in making this possible, as algorithms now help cameras make sense of the images they capture.
But AI-powered cameras are still not as well-established as they should be among end users. These systems have many advantages, but consumers have yet to adopt the technology. While this can be attributed to concerns about return on investment, some installers believe there is a gap between the AI-powered systems offered by security industry players and the understanding of consumers about these systems.
For example, an ad for an AI-powered camera might include a description of the system’s features. But the customer needs to know what difference these features make to the customer in terms of benefits and costs. This is where installers have a role to play. Here are some examples of how installers say customers have benefited from the use of AI technology.
Meeting the needs of the housing market
Large residential complexes need security cameras to protect their people and property. But what if the cameras could do more than that? For example, residential complexes have complex plumbing systems that need to be inspected and monitored to ensure that they are not leaking or damaged. In the past, a facility manager would have to regularly check these systems, making them tedious, inefficient, and expensive.
Algorithms that are capable of working with AI technology can detect things like leaking pipes and malfunctioning equipment without any human intervention.
Product Counting and Monitoring
For example, an Indian pipe manufacturing company needed a system that could count the number of products loaded onto a truck, and a security company was able to find a solution to this problem.
Usually, when such manufacturing plants have orders for such products, these orders include product types such as 2-inch, 5-inch, 10-inch pipes, etc. When loading these products, to better manage space, a 5-inch pipe can be placed inside a 10-inch pipe and a 2-inch pipe can be placed inside a 5-inch pipe, and so on to better manage the rest of the pipes and space.
The customer wanted to understand the number of products loaded on a truck through video surveillance cameras. With the help of AI technology, the installer was able to understand how many pipes were being loaded on a truck. This could be automatically re-confirmed with the received command.
Location-based threat detection
Airports and critical infrastructures, in addition to providing and maintaining a pleasant environment for passengers and employees, must constantly be on the lookout for intruders and trespassers. However, given the large number of people present in one place and at a certain time, such as an airport, it would be difficult to monitor every person entering with human forces.
For example, as long as there is no control, a trespasser with a concealed weapon can pass through the check-in counters of any airport. If the person draws his gun upon arrival, the security authorities will be too late to deal with this. This problem is limited to airports. Even large companies and campuses need to be vigilant against intruders carrying weapons.
This was a problem that one company had to grapple with at the request of its customers. The company was able to implement an AI-based analytics solution that was able to identify a person in a location ready to use their weapon. In other words, a person might enter a campus with a concealed weapon, but as soon as they pull it out and adjust their angle to use it, the algorithm used in that system would identify the person and alert security forces.
Source: a&s magazine