The Future Of Surveillance

By Author: Ray Shadman
Total Articles: 4762
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Surveillance has come a long, long way from the first days of Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras. The journey has been much longer historically, of course, since King David was sending out spies in Old Testament times on a regular basis. Today, of course, we are riding a technological wave that seems a long way from cresting, as more and more improvements in cameras, heat sensors, sound equipment and wireless technologies make surveillance easier, cheaper, faster, better and (perhaps unfortunately at times) more widespread.

In addition to higher resolution of captured images, other developments include wireless color cameras as small as a nickel coin, day-and-night-vision technology, weatherproof construction and Web-based controllers. Still-image and video capture are at the forefront of surveillance technology, so we will take a look at the new optics technologies first. However, the future of surveillance also involves the correct deployment of technology, and new architectural and engineering approaches are bringing other advances to the field.

New ways of seeing

A major area of interest today is thermal ...
... imaging with high-resolution camera (HRC) technology. Some are now able to view objects some 12 miles away. These HRC devices detect wavelengths outside the visible spectrum and can display images in any light environment, including nighttime. The same technology, however, has daytime uses, and thermal HRC units are able to see through fog, smoke, haze and other atmospheric conditions. Because of the high contrast in thermal imaging, post- or real-time processing of the captured video can be done with special analytics software that will distinguish different motions and movement-related behavior.

There are also nighttime vision cameras taking different routes. New germanium technology is capable of seeing near-infrared to shortwave-infrared and displays nighttime images with what is called a NightGlow in one company's parlance. The technology is based on the fact that hydroxyl ions in the planet's atmosphere absorb daytime sunlight and actually glow at night. Human vision is incapable of detecting this glow but several firms have demonstrated that their cameras can do so. One additional benefit to this methodology is that these cameras will have a single, uniform light source, enabling them to produce and display high quality images in any lighting environment, including pitch dark.

Other sensor technology

Of course, surveillance relies on many more inputs that the visual one. Tremendous, even accelerating progress is being made in many of these other input areas, from heat and motion sensors to olfactory (smell) detection and x-ray-type imaging without the harmful x-rays. The security measures put into place following 9/11/2001 have certainly been a big boost to research and development in the areas of sensor technology, and airports will be among the first places that some of the new devices are deployed.

It is not just the technology for capturing images, sound, motion, heat or the smell of explosives that has advanced. Hardware and software that can analyze, process and improve the captured information are extremely important parts of the puzzle, too. Thus, it is not just cameras and sensors that provide answers and information for security professionals. These pros consider the raw data from the input devices to be just that, for the most part. The raw data becomes usable after it has been processed to improve clarity, separate sounds, define motions as behavior and determine the chemical makeup of a captured air sample. Before long, the capabilities of spectrometers and other instruments for determining molecular structures will be embedded in the best security systems.

The improved-planning approach

There are many companies that will buy all the best, newest security gear, but deploy it in a substandard way and not get their money's worth. There are now consulting firms that will visit companies and explain the best ways of spec'ing their security measures and installing their equipment. The future of surveillance will include better initial setup and construction, since poor surveillance systems will give firms a false sense of security. Just learning the pixel-per-foot specifications for selecting appropriate video gear is a simple step that is taken too infrequently by beginners.

Many security and surveillance industry observers believe that an independent panel should develop standards for the resolution, capabilities and performance of security cameras and other sensors. This could go a long way toward improving the overall quality of security and surveillance systems being installed nationwide, even worldwide, and create common platforms for further development. Although such a panel has yet to be formed, and it's impossible to know what the eventual standards might be, it is an important undertaking. If no one does it soon enough, you should take the bull by the horns and learn all you can about the new surveillance technologies, so that you and your company can go safely into the future, together.
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