AI has become an integral part of video surveillance. All major video surveillance solution providers offer AI-embedded cameras and analytics solutions that leverage the power of AI.
AI has become an integral part of video surveillance. All major video surveillance solution providers offer AI-embedded cameras and analytics solutions that leverage the power of AI.
Notably, the technology continues to advance at a quick pace, and this leads to rapidly evolving market trends. We recently talked to a few people from the industry to understand some of these latest AI trends in video surveillance.
More on edge, but hybrid too
With cameras now equipped with powerful chipsets to support AI and machine learning, analytics at the edge is easier than ever. With a combination of server-based AI solutions, these aid in achieving hybrid analytic deployments.
“Analytics at the edge eliminates the traditional need to pipe all of the videos through to central servers,” said Fabio Marti, VP of Marketing at Azena. “In a hybrid scenario, footage can be analyzed on the device so that only metadata or selected video footage needs to be passed on and further processed on central servers. Both of these scenarios relieve the burden on infrastructure and conserve bandwidth.”
More analytics for business intelligence
With new deployment options and significant advancements in AI video analytics in recent years, businesses and other entities have begun to embrace smart cameras and analytics as a way to derive insights about their operations by using analytics to detect and interpret real-time events as well as patterns over time.
“This intelligence enables organizations to make both short- and long-term improvements in their operations,” Marti pointed out. “Retailers can measure cash register queue lengths and immediately dispatch more cashiers or study the patterns to better adjust future staffing levels based on busy periods. A building or facility managers can quickly learn of a broken escalator or make more educated decisions on the optimal usage of office space based on occupancy numbers over time.”
Similarly, cities and municipalities can get instant alerts of traffic accidents that could help improve emergency response or redesign intersections based on observed traffic congestion patterns.
More automation, less human
A clear trend has been the automation of jobs that would result in error or inefficiency if attributed to a human. An excellent example of this is seen in access control monitoring. There are also several other areas, like monitoring and reducing false alarms, which in turn leads to lower costs and even legal concerns.
“Security operation centers are confronted with hundreds of false alarms each day, which drown out the real alarms that signify emergencies or critical incidents,” said Sam Joseph, Founder and CEO of Hakimo. “In tandem with video surveillance, AI can differentiate “real” alarms from false alarms. For a human to do this would require hours of work and would result in operator fatigue. When AI steps in, it reduces time and money spent reviewing video footage.”
Cloud on the rise
The increased popularity of VSaaS and other cloud-based technologies is another trend in the market now. With more and more solution providers offering the convenience of the cloud, customers have more options to choose from for their needs.
Many companies now offer Analytics solutions powered by AI algorithms on the cloud, making it more accessible to a broader range of customers. They no longer have to worry about huge upfront costs or the hassle of installing more hardware. This becomes even more relevant after COVID-19, when the world is rethinking the traditional concept of a workspace.
Conclusion
AI-enabled video surveillance will continue to play a bigger role in security. Algorithms are becoming smarter every day, overcoming concerns on accuracy, efficiency, and value for money.
A combination of edge and hybrid solutions, cloud-based systems, business intelligence, and automation replacing human intervention are the main trends at the moment. Going forward, we are sure to see more.