Intelligent Video has a Bright Future
January 7, 2009

An interesting article written by Gadi Piran, President and CTO at On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) discusses video analytics growth market and areas.

Business intelligence will be the driving force behind the adoption of video analytics in the retail sector, according to a recent statement issued by IMS, the British research firm. As the retail sector becomes increasingly competitive in a tough economic climate, retailers are turning to video analytics to gain valuable insights into customer shopping behavior that can potentially increase sales and improve operational efficiency, says IMS.

The prediction becomes even more significant when you factor in that, according to some sources, the retail industry is the largest spender on video surveillance equipment in the U.S. But retail is only one of several applications seeing growth in video analytics - the U.S. Department of Homeland Security uses it in defense of our borders; the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) uses it in airports and New York’s MTA (Metro Transit Authority) uses it to help secure the City’s public transit systems. Analysts say that these and other similar projects have kept intelligent video sales growing at a rate of about 25 percent per year.
The surge in interest and implementation of network-based video surveillance systems over the past few years has enabled video analytics to become positioned as a key element in a video surveillance system and, in many cases, it has become indispensable for effectively and efficiently analyzing the surveillance data. In short, the situational awareness provided by video analytics adds more power, versatility and reliability to a network-based video surveillance system.

For example, software suite solutions offer advanced analytics for automated detection and policy-driven analysis of events and/or the motion pattern of people, vehicles and objects. In effect, IP control solutions deliver the large scale functionality of traditional matrix switching systems with all the inherent benefits of software driven management and control.

With all of these extraordinary capabilities already embedded in today’s IP control solutions, the future of this subset of network-based video surveillance then belongs to video analytics. Some of the areas in which we can expect to see growth include:

• Algorithms - Stronger and more reliable analytic algorithms will be developed for improved motion detection. Algorithms for audio analysis (i.e. gunshots, breaking glass, etc.) and behavioral analysis are also in development as well as algorithms for predictive activity.
• Integration - As applications come together under a single platform, control will become more sophisticated and capable. For example, smart buildings will feature fiber backbones to which all devices will be connected and controlled. Building environmental controls will be integrated with video surveillance and access control as well as with external databases (i.e. HR).
• Interoperability - Open architecture and industry standards will become the norm, allowing for increased interoperability with video analytics on edge devices. As well, operational capabilities will expand will permit additional features such as the use of multiple detectors, an unlimited number of rules per camera and multi-sensory input analysis (i.e. odors, audio, etc.).

The strides made to date in video analytic technology are astounding and have ultimately changed the parameters of IP-based video surveillance. As the initiatives outlined above reach maturity, they will deliver an unprecedented ability for organizations to better ensure the safety of individuals and security of property.