SIMPLIFIED
With small software components, functionality can be added to products with simple software integration and straightforward configurations, requiring no additional hardware other than an audio-enabled video camera or other devices, Mitchell said. “Setting up audio analytics has become as easy as changing the contrast of a camera, or setting an event within a video management system.”
These fundamental enhancements in hardware and software pave the way for easily deployable audio analytics. Easier installation, calibration and fine-tuning allow audio analytics to appeal to a much wider audience, Van der Vorst said.
Some typical applications that can now be achieved without additional equipment , system complexity or cost include detection of aggression in customer-facing scenarios, such as receptions or help desks in hospitals, airports and retail outlets. Other settings include detection of car alarms in poorly lit public or office parking lots, Mitchell said.
AGGRESSION DETECTION
A weary guard can easily miss or dismiss the underlying implications when monitoring a scene, especially when there are numerous displays to watch. According to Van der Vorst, there have already been numerous incidents where audio analytics saved the day. Below are a few settings where audio analytics has potential to become as indispensable as video surveillance; in some situations, a few extra seconds can prove to be critical.
*Correctional facilities: The system detected a fight based on the sounds it picked up. Prison guards were alerted even before the situation escalated and were able to curb the situation. There was another stabbing incident where an alarm alerted prison guards in time to save the victim's life.
*City surveillance: Fighting incidents in inner cities were detected and allowed the police to intervene and prevent escalation. Another example is a robbery that was detected because the system picked up the victim's scream; the police were able to successfully catch and arrest the perpetrator.
*Reception desk: Since the reception desk is a key choke point in many facilities (such as offices, ticket desks, unemployment offices and retail outlets), nipping an aggressive situation in its bud is essential.
*Health care: Aggressive situations in mental health care institutes were picked up, and security personnel were alerted in time to help nurses. Alarms based on individual sound profiles of epileptic patients can be incorporated; every seizure is potentially deadly, so timely detection can save lives.
The perceived privacy issue that some customers have is actually unsubstantiated, Van der Vorst said. “The system does not record continuous audio, nor is it interested in what people say. The system purely analyzes the spectral cues in the audio, not the words.”
KEEPING IT REAL
Audio analytics provide some obvious benefits in many settings, but it has not yet seen the uptake it deserves. While developing a new market is always difficult, this is especially true for analytic technologies.
Part of the problem, Van der Vorst believes, is that “our colleagues of video analytics companies started out with many promises on which they could not deliver.” Because of past experiences, many people in the industry are skeptical of video and audio analytics.
Looking back at the “VCA bubble,” it is not difficult to understand how overaggressive advertising can negatively impact business development. Many potential customers today are still wary of self-proclaimed “intelligent” solutions that boast amazing functionality yet fail to deliver. Those who have been scarred are often reluctant to experiment with new technology.
“Some installers are rightly cautious based on their past experiences with newer technologies, and every effort, therefore, needs to be made to simplify integration and setup, and demonstrate the additional end-user value that can be achieved,” Mitchell said. “Only those systems that deliver on the real needs of system integrators and installers are likely to be widely adopted, and only those companies that understand these needs and proactively support integrators and end users in the early stages of product evaluation and trials are likely to succeed.”
More full-scale adoption is likely to come from identification and installation of sites where the potential of audio analytics can be experienced by stakeholders in a wide variety of applications and environments, Mitchell said. “Forward-thinking equipment manufacturers and system integrators are already engaging in this process, with some really interesting sites being planned in a range of applications, such as retail, banking, gaming and public security; some camera manufacturers are actively working on integration of audio analytics as a core area of functionality in their next-generation products.”
The single greatest barrier in developing this market is education, as few people realize that adding another sense to video surveillance can make the security system a lot more proactive and effective, Van der Vorst said. Educating the market on not only the capabilities but also the limitations is critical for audio analytics to become widely adopted in even mission-critical settings.
It is better to “underpromise” and “overdeliver,” Van der Vorst said. Recently, the cities of Brussels and Bruges had tenders for city surveillance that explicitly asked for audio analytics; they understand how the technology can help their city surveillance, as well as the limitations. “The tender documents described that the audio analytics solution should deliver a minimum of 10-percent useful alarms. This means that they would accept 90-percent false alarms.” While this is a significant underestimation of the technology, it does show that some clients not only are aware of the limitations of analytics, but also have realistic expectations on the benefits it can bring.