Page 22 - Security Today, JulyAugust 2023

Beyond Security An evolution of video cameras will create new opportunities metamorworks/Shutterstock.com By Hiroshi (Huey) Sekiguchi Advances in AI are happening quickly. That is one of the reasons it is so exciting for some and po- tentially alarming for others. By focusing on AI, or more precisely, the subsets of AI known as ma- chine and deep learning, results can fundamen- tally change the value proposition of physical security cameras and infrastructure for organizations large and small. From the beginning of analog CCTV systems, video surveil- lance has been seen as a sunk cost and a part of doing business. It has been an expense as common as putting in windows and doors. Unlike windows and doors, modern AI-assisted network video cameras have steadily evolved beyond their original job of visually recording events to becoming smart sensors that can de- tect and describe objects and behaviors in increasing detail. Moreover, modern AI-based video cameras are enabling op- erations and security departments to shift their stance from being purely reactive to past events, to proactively addressing situations in real time and preventing them from escalating. AI VS. ANALYTICS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? In the video surveillance world, AI and analytics are often men- tioned interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. In the context of surveillance cameras, AI, or specifically deep learning, is used to visually detect objects within the camera’s field of view. An AI-based camera has been trained in an R&D lab to recognize a person or a vehicle, while also capturing a set of defining characteristics or attributes about the object. Character- istics might include the color of garments worn, approximate age and gender, and additional objects that might be worn or carried such as hats, glasses of bags. Where analytics come in is in defining what the object is do- ing. Has it crossed a line or entered a zone? Is it loitering in one place beyond what we might expect? Maybe a car is travelling the wrong way down a one-way street? Counting people is another example of an analytic. These behaviors are then turned into data that travels with the video, making searching for objects with cer- tain characteristics lightning fast compared to a human manually 22 JULY/AUGUST 2023 | SECURITY TODAY DEEP LEARNING