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A new dimension of accuracy for perimeter security

There are risks lurking, but do you know what they are? If a perimeter intrusion happens, will you know where before it's too late? And can you trust an alert’s accuracy when it occurs? In the uncontrolled outdoor environment of perimeter security, such knowledge is critically important.

Incorporating global positioning system (GPS) location information into perimeter security applications is the cornerstone of dependable, accurate video intrusion detection. The key is to use smart video solutions that have been designed from the ground up to be inherently geo-registered. This means that the camera’s field of view (FOV) maps the GPS coordinates of all points in the landscape under surveillance. Such an approach is fundamental to achieving high performance and accuracy in a video-based perimeter security system.

GPS location information unlocks key functional benefits to achieve accuracy in outdoor applications. For one, Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software can use the GPS target data to display the topological positions of detected objects, overlaid on a top-down map of the surveillance area. This information can be used for situational awareness to accurately direct your response where the event is unfolding, in real-time.

Geo-registering a camera’s field of view also enables a three dimensional capability to ascertain the size, direction and velocity of a moving object for making very accurate automated analysis. For indoor surveillance applications where the distances are relatively short, knowing an object’s actual size is much more important.

Cameras that lack depth perception will ‘see’ a small piece of debris moving close to its location as much larger than a person that is further away. Unless the camera knows the actual size of an object, it could interpret the closer debris as human-sized and send an alarm, while completely ignoring the actual person in the distance. On the other hand, smart cameras that use GPS information know the debris is actually smaller and can be safely ignored.

Another benefit of knowing the GPS ‘whereabouts’ along a large perimeter is the ability to direct pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras to the exact location of an alarm and to zoom and follow a detected target. Often PTZ cameras are used to watch outdoor areas, but when applied to large areas, a PTZ camera's narrow field of view relative to the wide areas under surveillance almost guarantees that events will go unnoticed. Trying to manually steer PTZs over outdoor areas is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. It's like viewing a large scene through a soda straw.

When smart cameras accurately determine the location of a moving object, they can then direct a PTZ camera to automatically get a close-in view. Knowing this information enables accurate, real-time response directly to where the threat resides, while ensuring good forensic evidence after the fact. If multiple events unfold simultaneously, the system can track them all, and keep operators from becoming confused by a distraction or decoy.

Good decisions depend on timely information, and the impact of an event unfolding is directly proportional to a security department's ability to intercept it quickly. Every second counts. Using GPS location in the form of geo-registering a scene under surveillance can add a new dimension of accuracy – both to the camera's view and to system functionality. It's a valuable tool to enable a security professional to ensure the comprehensive security of his or her organisation.

South African company, Timeless Technologies, recently signed a distribution agreement with Sightlogix.

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