Do you want to protect your buildings and grounds from intruders? Depending on your situation, this can be done in various ways and with different security measures. But always from the outside in, starting with signaling the intruder. For example, with a camera system with Video Content Analysis (VCA).
Whether you are at high or low risk, the sooner you detect an intruder, the greater the chance that they can be stopped and apprehended before reaching their goal. Ideally, this should be done at the perimeter of your premises. There are various perimeter detection systems available, such as underground detection systems, electric fence systems for walls or fences, and active or passive infrared detection systems. In this article, we will discuss the possibilities of a camera system with video analysis software to monitor your premises and quickly detect intruders.
What is Video Content Analysis?
Video Content Analysis (VCA) software detects changes in the camera’s view, whether in real-time or not. For example, a moving object on the premises. Besides movement, the analysis software can also determine the size and aspect ratio of the object, making it clear what type of object it is (such as a person, animal, or vehicle). The software can even detect the object’s color and determine how fast and in which direction it is moving. The predefined rules you set determine what the software detects and when an alarm is triggered. The software can be embedded in the camera itself, but VCA can also be available in modern Video Management Systems (VMS).
Perimeter detection with VCA
A camera system combined with VCA is highly effective for quickly detecting intruders on your premises. With content analysis software, you can draw a virtual line along the inside of your perimeter, for instance. You can then specify that any detected object (of a certain size, to exclude animals) that crosses this line should be detected, and you want to receive an alarm. This can be in the form of a pop-up in the VMS, an email, or an audio signal. In addition to an alarm, various follow-up actions can be initiated.
Critical success factors
Choosing the right type of camera is essential for the effectiveness of your VCA-based site detection system. This can be either an optical or a thermal camera. An optical camera provides a normal (overview) image, but provides a less clear image in the dark or in poor weather conditions, resulting in more unnecessary notifications. Thermal cameras (or thermal imaging cameras) detect people by the heat they emit. The camera can detect people or vehicles even in the pitch dark, in fog, or through dense vegetation. Because this type of camera only provides a thermal image, people or license plates can never be recognized or identified, unless you combine thermal cameras with optical cameras or use units that contain both an optical and a thermal camera.
To be able to detect successfully, the VCA software must be properly configured and tailored to local conditions. If you set it too strictly, there may easily be too many unnecessary alarms. If the opposite is the case, you run the risk of missing suspicious situations. Setting up the system properly takes a relatively long time. We often adjust the settings in the first period after installation to optimize the operation of the system. The systems that Mactwin implements are therefore connected to the Mactwin Operation Center (MOC) as standard. The setting/adjustment can then be done as much as possible remotely from the MOC, which not only allows us to act quickly, but also keeps costs as low as possible.
In addition, it is important to project the cameras in such a way that the entire site is well guarded and there are no gaps. What the best way is depends entirely on the site to be monitored, the properties of the cameras chosen (including the angle of view) and the possible presence of obstacles (which the camera cannot see through), etc. Furthermore, the cameras must not (or hardly) vibrate. A small vibration can cause a major disturbance in the image, especially if the camera is looking a little further away. And that in turn has a negative influence on the detection reliability. It is also always useful if you can verify notifications (afterwards), so that you know what the cause of an unnecessary notification is and can ‘teach’ this to the VCA software.
And one more thing. The VCA software used by Mactwin can distinguish between animals and humans. At least, as long as the animal is not too big…. A sheep or very large dog does not differ enough in size from a human, so the distinction is not always made. Therefore, make sure that such large animals cannot enter the site!
The future
VCA is based on the analysis of pixels and is fairly static. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), much more is possible in the field of image analysis. AI is based on ‘artificial neural networks’. These are algorithms that attempt to mimic the brain and behavior of humans. In practice, this means that you can train the software, for example on the basis of sample videos and situations.
Thanks to AI software, various objects in video images can be recognized and detected, such as: a person, boat, car, motorcycle, truck, airplane, mobile, notebook, television, suspect, weapons, motorcycle helmet, etc. It is even possible to distinguish people with or without a safety helmet or face mask. It can also be seen whether people in a certain zone maintain the required 1.5 meter distance between each other. Furthermore, thanks to AI, queues can be detected, for example in front of a reception desk or cash register. Through ‘learning’ and ‘training’, the accuracy and performance of the AI algorithms are constantly improving.
Combine with other systems for enhanced security
When a camera system with VCA is combined with other perimeter detection measures, an even higher level of security can be achieved. For instance, it is common to surround a site with fencing. These measures will slow down an intruder, while cameras only detect. By adding other detection methods, such as radar detection or an underground detection system, you can more reliably detect unwanted individuals on your premises.