This is how AI gives terrain security a boost during the dark days

At the end of the year, the days get shorter and the nights longer. This is a period when the number of burglaries increases sharply. To secure buildings and premises, many organisations use cameras. Viewing the images is often done manually, which is labour-intensive and sometimes challenging, especially in difficult conditions. Video AI Analytics can help solve this problem. How? You can find out in this article.

The challenges of manual video monitoring

Viewing video images manually is an intensive job. Centralists usually monitor several camera images simultaneously, constantly having to switch between different screens. This increases the risk of overlooking an unwanted situation. Of course, this is not the intention, but it is human. Thus, we wrote earlier in this article that a human with two eyes has a field of vision of 180 degrees, of which only 2-3 degrees are really sharp. The conclusion? It is virtually impossible for a dispatcher to see everything that happens on screen.

AI as smart assistant

In the same article, we also described how AI, and specifically Video AI Analytics, can support dispatchers. Video AI Analytics adds intelligence to existing camera systems. Smart algorithms analyse video images in real-time and recognise people, objects, vehicles, animals and patterns. In case of an undesirable situation, such as an intrusion, the system automatically sends a notification to, for example, the control room. This allows a quick and appropriate response.

The challenges of conventional anti-intrusion technology

While there is a lot of technology available for intrusion prevention, Video AI Analytics has clear advantages over traditional methods. Conventional technologies, such as sensors, motion detection or burglar alarms, work fine on their own, but often generate unwanted or false alerts due to external factors. Think of a falling leaf or a cat walking by. These notifications need to be verified, which often means security has to check on site.

Camera systems partly solve this problem by allowing remote viewing. However, manual viewing of images by dispatchers also incurs costs, especially if there are many unnecessary reports.

High accuracy through Machine Learning and Deep Learning

This is where Video AI Analytics can be of great value. This technology is based on Deep Learning and Machine Learning. That sounds a bit complex, but means it is trained to recognise objects, such as people, and not confuse them with, say, an animal. Want to know exactly how this works, then read this article in which we delve deeper into the technology behind Video AI Analytics. Simply put, detection accuracy is incredibly high, up to 99%. This means it only sends out notifications that really matter. When a notification is sent, a dispatcher can then also watch along live for verification.

Effective under challenging conditions

But how well does this work under difficult conditions, such as low light, rain, snow or fog? These factors can affect the accuracy of detections, as an intrusion must be visible in the camera’s field of view. Nevertheless, Video AI Analytics remains effective thanks to training with Deep Learning and Machine Learning. The system is capable of distinguishing persons from, say, a rubbish bag blowing by, a flapping branch or a cat prowling through the image at night. This automatically filters out many false detections.

In addition, AI models are constantly trained on real-life situations where conditions are not optimal. This ensures that accuracy remains high even in poor weather conditions or dark nights.

Check out the examples below to see how powerful this technology is in action. Would you be able to notice intrusion attempts if you had to monitor multiple screens at once?

A smart upgrade for your existing camera systems

As it turns out, Video AI Analytics offers a valuable upgrade for your existing camera systems. It adds intelligence without the need to invest in new hardware. This results in higher accuracy in detecting suspicious situations. Moreover, you save costs because the monitoring centre has to verify fewer unnecessary reports. This way, you get the most out of your existing camera network and make sure your property stays safe, even during the dark winter months.

Want to know more about what Video AI Analytics can do for your situation? Feel free to contact us. Our specialists will be happy to help you.