Page 88 - Security Today, July 2017

• PoE: Power over Ethernet made installation easier and lost costly because a single cable could be used to both power the camera and transmit the video.
• Two-way audio: Two-way audio support allowed security staff to communicate with visitors and intruders.
• On-board storage: Slots for memory cards give users the option of storing the video in-camera as a backup in case network con- nectivity is lost.
• H.264 compression: Advanced compression support significantly reduced bandwidth usage and storage needs.
• Intelligent analytics: Network thermal cameras offered motion detection, audio detection, and attempted tampering detection. In more recent years, adoption of open platforms and the con-
tinuously increasing processing power of the cameras have enabled more intelligence (analytic applications) to be pushed to the edge of the network and reside on the camera.
Open platform applications. Building on this open platform con- cept, many new thermal cameras also feature an open application platform that allows third parties to develop and download special- ized applications to improve security. These plug-in programs add value to the camera’s core functionality and provide a way to custom- ize surveillance solutions to meet an end user’s unique needs.
One of the more intriguing applications developed for network thermal cameras involves virtual fence technology. Using state-of- the-art discrimination algorithms, the software enables a thermal camera to separate credible threats from noise and other unimport- ant motion in a scene. The analytics are so advanced that they can detect people and objects up to a mile away.
By integrating adjacent PTZ cameras with these thermal cameras that have been enhanced with long-range detection capability users can automate a much more proactive detect-track-notify solution.
Higher resolution. Users can opt for thermal camera models with a higher 640x480 resolution or ones with a lower 384 by 288 resolution.
Image stabilization. Electronic image stabilization (EIS) reduces the effect of vibration in video providing a smoother and steadier image even on windy days when vibrations would otherwise affect video quality.
Edge-preserving noise filter and enhanced noise reduction. This filter helps the thermal image remain sharp by removing blur and ghost effects.
Dynamic histogram equalization with enhanced local contrast and sharpening. This capability improves contrast across the entire im- age, keeping noise levels low without loss of details or temperature information. It makes the scene easier to understand because the sur- roundings are more recognizable and the objects and people are more readily identifiable.
Multiple lens choices. With lens choices from 7mm to 60mm users can optimize detection performance to meet most requirements.
Security-specific compression algorithm. With greater in-camera processing capacity, thermal cameras can do much of the video processing at the edge. Combined with advanced algorithms specifi- cally designed for security applications, only the portion of the video containing useful information (areas of the scene that have changed from frame to frame) are transmitted to the server. This reduces both bandwidth consumption and video storage requirements.
Moving Into the Realm of Recognition and Identification
While thermal cameras are outstanding at detection, they also work really well for recognition. With today’s enhanced resolution and vi- sual clarity, it’s still easy to determine that there is a person mov- ing between cars rather than an animal or a plastic bag. Oftentimes, thermal cameras deliver this information long before a visual camera has even detected movement.
Before They Get Too Close
By E. Anthony Incorvati
Thermal cameras are one of the best early warning tools for defending our borders. They’re a discrete and cost-effective alternative to RF in- trusion sensors, electrified fences and floodlights. They can detect the thermal radiation of any object or person—even when they’re camou- flaged into the background—with unrivaled accuracy. So any attempt to hide is futile. With features like in-camera intelligence, they can spot movement at a border and direct guards to intercept unknown entities before they have a chance to cross onto American soil or pen- etrate a critical infrastructure perimeter. This makes them an ideal first line of defense against unsanctioned entry before they get too close.
The newest thermal cameras can be equipped with advanced in- camera analytics making them able to detect changes over extremely wide areas and long ranges—well beyond human detection capabili- ties—and send an alert. These onboard analytics can also be used to link thermal cameras with adjacent PTZ cameras to create an au- tomated detect-track-notify solution, enhancing real-time situational awareness and rapid response capabilities.
When the thermal cameras spot an anomaly in the scene, the soft- ware automatically transmits the precise coordinates for the detected person, object or event to an associated PTZ camera. This enables the PTZ camera to immediately track the activity while the analytic software triggers a real-time visual alert to the mobile devices of the closest border patrol. Some thermal cameras even come equipped with two-way audio so that border guards can verbally warn intruders that they’ve been spotted and should turn back.
When you consider how mind numbing live monitoring large swaths of unmanned borders can be, it’s easy to see how thermal cameras can make a huge difference in helping to secure borders. Walls and fences can be deterrents, but they can also be scaled, cut, damaged or otherwise breached. And once the breach occurs, a fence or a wall has no way of tracking the threat or notifying the appropriate security agents. By combining thermal and visual light cameras with boots on the ground, border guards can quickly dismiss benign activity and focus their attention on real threats to border security.
Though thermal cameras can’t as yet provide the level of identifi- cation offered by visual cameras (colors, facial features and other de- tails), the thermal images they generate do provide useful particulars. For instance, the captured heat signature can help security personnel distinguish an object and its characteristics—such as a person hold- ing a crowbar. And it is this kind of situational awareness that can be critical to first responders.
A Versatile Addition to a
Host of Surveillance Solutions
Like most technologies, network thermal cameras are continuing to improve in performance and sophistication. Initially designed as a tool for military applications, today thermal network cameras are demonstrating their versatility in an endless variety of industrial, commercial and private surveillance applications.
In physical security conversations, network cam- eras continue to be a hot topic that shows no evi- dence of cooling down any time soon.
E. Anthony Incorvati is the business development manager for critical infrastructure and transporta- tion markets for Axis Communications Inc.
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