Page 26 - Security Today, November/December 2020

Improving Entrances
with AI
Because security entrances do not have AI built into their technology, integrating intelligence into secured entrances requires a collaborative effort
By Kurt Measom
With the evolving dynam- ics of cloud storage and the ability to harness and proactively employ an ever-increasing pool of big data, AI in the form of machine learning and deep learning has become a disruptive techno- logical force in the physical security indus- try. Advanced AI and low-cost network resources have significantly impacted vid- eo surveillance, which has been among the biggest beneficiaries of faster processing and impactful analytics. Building automa- tion, fire systems, intrusion detection, and physical and network access control are all starting to incorporate AI functionality.
Finding the Right Balance with an AI Integration
But can AI play a role in making ex- terior and interior entrances more secure? Can AI improve system functionalities, including: distinguishing people from objects at a facility perimeter and inte- rior entrances; deter piggybacking; spot and analyze potentially lethal objects and dangerous people; and help define secure areas in and around buildings creating a more defensive risk posture for an orga- nization?
As we move to greater converged tech- nology at the edges of connected systems, we face the challenge of how AI may practically support entry solutions such as security revolving doors, turnstiles, and swing doors. A disconnect between the ob- jectives of the building owner and build- ing code regulations can further compli- cate the security blueprint.
Consultant Ben Butchko, president and CEO of Butchko, Inc. and a former security engineer with ExxonMobil, warns that manufacturers’ goals must align with their end users’ needs when it comes to driving the development of embedded so-
lutions with advanced sensors (cameras, microwave, LIDAR), operational analyt- ics (facial recognition, tracking, object discrimination, pattern recognition), and active response (entry lockout, alert noti- fication) that can be implemented now to prevent or deter unauthorized entry.
“The security entrance must be part of the general building operations design,
clearly separated from an architect’s com- plete authority. Most secured entries are specified in CSI Division 28, outside of building design since it is structural and falls under code compliance surrounding emergency egress as well as building ca- pacity and throughput. Therefore, if this is to work, the rules for design and the merg- ing of Division 28 and Division 8 must
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | SECURITY TODAY
ACCESS CONTROL
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