Page 48 - Security Today, August 2017

Edge computing is a method of optimizing cloud computing systems by performing data processing at the edge of the network, near the source of the data. Conversely, the advent of cloud computing is al- lowing complex analytics to take place in the cloud, effectively bring- ing huge power to even the dumbest device in the field.
False alarms continue to be the biggest issue facing the alarm monitoring industry right now. They are primarily caused by mo- tion detectors (PIRS), but also human error, low batteries, unsecured doors and windows, pets, rodents, insects and even poor installations. But if video analytics can distinguish a human from a pet, it can dis- tinguish a child’s balloon floating around, and other non-threatening types of movement. Low batteries don’t affect its performance the same way they affect motion detectors. So, shouldn’t this be the natu- ral way forward for the security industry?
The biggest objection is privacy. How do you feel about cameras watching your every move? How do you feel about those images be- ing streamed into the cloud? It’s unnerving in a domestic environ- ment. In a commercial environment, there are other privacy issues, such as commercial secrecy.
Maybe it’s time for a new type of detector. Let’s call it an “Optical Analytical Sensor.” Now, as far as I am aware, this device does not yet exist. However, it could work on the “Edge” and receive new, updated analytics as they change, but not be able to transmit video. It would have no video storage; all it could do is pass events to a monitoring system. These events would include a description, such as “Human, identified as ‘Rod Coles,’ 98 percent confidence level,” but no video. The nice thing about this approach is the bandwidth requirements, often still an issue with video, would not exist.
ognize family members and friends. User awareness is a critical part of taking smart home systems to the next level. By recognizing who is in a home or business, the system can begin to make smart decisions. For example, why would we need to enter a code to disarm an alarm system if the Optical Analytical Sensor recognized that it was a valid user of the system and automatically did it for us?
What about a commercial application? If you needed a fully se- cure environment, you could have a permanently armed system. The Optical Analytical Sensor would just ignore the individuals who are allowed and generate an alarm for anyone who wasn’t. You could eas- ily create areas that were off limits to certain people. You could link the system to access or door control and integrate one more technol- ogy into the mix. A more traditional approach could be implemented which armed the system “AWAY” if it didn’t detect anyone moving around for a set period, or even better, the system could track when users leave and then arm.
It is easy to see how video surveillance with video analytics could improve security applications, but related industries such as PERS and health and safety could also have huge changes as analytics be- come more powerful. Additionally, retail organizations can benefit from being able to monitor the flow of people in and out of their stores, where they go and what their demograph-
Now, let’s take it further. We could calibrate these devices to rec-
ics are. Ultimately, good analytics will enable video surveillance to become more widespread within the Alarm Monitoring space. It’s only go- ing to get better as more intelligence is built into these systems.
Rod Coles is the president of Bold Technologies.
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