Perimeter security has long been a frontline concern for critical infrastructure, airports, and industrial sites. Yet the challenge of accurately detecting and verifying intrusions has often exposed the limitations of traditional visible-light cameras.
Environmental interferences such as swaying trees, headlights, or insects can trigger false alarms, while adverse weather and low-light conditions reduce effectiveness.
Today, vendors are turning to advanced technologies, ranging from AI-powered video analytics to radar, to close these gaps and deliver more reliable, scalable solutions.
Recent conversations with Hikvision and Navtech Radar shed light on how the industry is rethinking perimeter intrusion detection, blending sensors and intelligence for robust protection.
The shortcomings of visible-light cameras
Traditional CCTV systems, while widely deployed, were not designed with the unique challenges of perimeter environments in mind. According to Wenson Zhou, Product Marketing Director at Hikvision, the limitations are considerable.
“Traditional visible-light CCTV cameras often struggle in perimeter intrusion detection due to environmental interferences. Factors such as moving tree branches, car headlights, insects, animals, or even spider webs can easily trigger false alarms,” Zhou explained. “Their performance also drops significantly under low-light conditions or in adverse weather such as fog, rain, or snow.”
Beyond environmental noise, even the analytics layered on top of camera feeds can add complications. “Conventional video analytics may misinterpret scene perspective or rely on poorly configured rules, leading to missed detections or inaccurate alerts,” Zhou said. One particularly persistent challenge, he noted, is “detecting small or irregularly positioned targets at longer distances.”
These shortcomings often translate into higher operational costs. False alarms not only waste monitoring resources but can also desensitize security staff, increasing the likelihood of a real intrusion being overlooked.
AI-enhanced video surveillance
To address these issues, manufacturers are embedding artificial intelligence directly into cameras and supporting hardware. Hikvision, for example, has developed what it calls DeepinViewX cameras, integrating large-scale AI models to improve detection accuracy and range.
Zhou said, “Our DeepinViewX cameras, for example, leverage powerful AI to reduce false alarms by over 90% and extend detection range up to 120 meters, twice that of conventional systems.”
The company has also advanced its imaging technologies for night-time and low-light applications. Zhou highlighted Hikvision’s proprietary approach: “Our DarkFighter 2.0 technology combines advanced low-light imaging with AI-enhanced image signal processing to deliver exceptional clarity and detail even at night or in poor visibility conditions.”
These developments point to a broader trend across the video surveillance industry: the convergence of high-performance imaging with AI-powered analytics at the edge. By processing data within the camera itself, operators can receive more actionable alerts while reducing bandwidth and storage demands.
The radar advantage
While video surveillance continues to evolve, radar is emerging as a complementary, or in some cases alternative, technology for perimeter applications. Radar has long been used in aviation and defense, but security integrators are increasingly turning to it for wide-area detection.
Simonas Mikuzis, Security Segment Leader at Navtech Radar, pointed out the inherent limitations of visible-light systems and the benefits of radar in overcoming them.
“Visible-light cameras are effective in well-lit sites such as active airports, and sometimes even under moonlight. However, in darker or more isolated locations, their performance can be limited and infrared or thermal imaging is used to compensate,” Mikuzis said. “Radar removes this dependency altogether - it does not rely on light, and it will detect intruders through rain, fog, snow, or dust.”
One of radar’s strongest attributes is its range and coverage. “A single rotating radar provides continuous 360-degree coverage, monitoring activity across an area of up to five kilometres in diameter,” Mikuzis explained.
Unlike cameras, which must be carefully positioned to cover specific zones, a radar system can act as an early-warning layer, tracking movement in all directions simultaneously. This wide-area monitoring reduces blind spots and minimizes the number of devices required to secure large sites.
Layered security: Radar plus cameras
Despite its advantages, radar is rarely deployed as a standalone solution. Instead, it is usually paired with cameras to give operators both detection and visual verification.
“Radar for security environments is rarely deployed alone. It is normally complemented with cameras, giving operators both reliable detection and visual confirmation,” Mikuzis said.
This layered approach leverages the best of both technologies: radar provides reliable, round-the-clock detection across vast areas, while cameras deliver the contextual visuals necessary for human assessment and evidence. Together, they form a more comprehensive perimeter security strategy.
Integrator considerations
For systems integrators, the evolution of perimeter intrusion detection technologies presents both opportunities and challenges. Deployments are no longer about installing rows of cameras along fences; instead, integrators must design multi-technology solutions tailored to site-specific risks and conditions.
Factors such as lighting, weather, and terrain remain crucial. For high-security sites in remote or harsh environments, radar’s resilience may offer the greatest value. In urban or semi-urban sites with reliable lighting, AI-enhanced cameras might suffice. Most often, a hybrid design that integrates both technologies delivers the strongest results.
Case studies highlight this approach. Airports, for instance, benefit from radar’s long-range detection across runways and perimeters, coupled with AI cameras for verification.
In the utilities sector, power plants and substations have increasingly adopted radar-camera combinations to ensure uninterrupted monitoring, even in foggy or storm-prone regions. These environments demand rapid response and minimal downtime, making layered detection critical.
Scalability and cost are also key concerns. AI-powered cameras, while effective, typically require upfront investment in new hardware or firmware upgrades. Radar systems can cover large areas with fewer devices but may require integration with existing video management systems (VMS) for seamless operation.
A technology shift underway
The industry’s pivot towards AI and radar underscores a larger transformation in physical security: moving from passive recording to proactive detection and response. The goal is not merely to capture footage of an intrusion but to ensure that threats are identified early, verified quickly, and acted upon decisively.
For Hikvision, that means continuously improving analytics to drive down false alarms and extend detection range. For Navtech Radar, it means providing reliable detection regardless of environmental conditions. And for integrators, it means combining these innovations into holistic solutions that meet customer needs.
As Zhou put it, the mission is clear: to help customers achieve “exceptional clarity and detail even at night or in poor visibility conditions,” while ensuring that intrusions are detected accurately and efficiently.
Mikuzis added that radar’s strength lies in removing dependencies: “It will detect intruders through rain, fog, snow, or dust.”
Together, these perspectives illustrate how perimeter security is being reshaped by advanced technologies. The once binary choice between cameras and sensors is giving way to integrated solutions that promise greater reliability, scalability, and confidence in defending critical assets.