Increasingly, end users demand video security solutions with superb capturing and imaging capabilities in challenging lighting conditions. In this article, Max Fang, Director of Video Security Products at Hikvision, explains the company’s various imaging technologies that give peace of mind to users, who can rest assured that their faculties are well protected regardless the time of day or weather condition.
Lowlight capturing is a critical part of video security. Users especially need quality video during the night, when criminal activities are more likely to occur: According to the US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the number of violent crimes committed by adults peaks at 9 p.m. Capturing clear, full-color images of robbers or burglars engaging in criminal acts can help with investigative or prosecutorial procedures.
Then, monitoring in inclement weather conditions is also important. What if video security is needed during a snowstorm or blizzard when visibility is reduced to zero? What if fogs or mists render video unusable? Advanced technologies are needed to ensure footage taken in severe weather or pitch-black conditions is high-quality and comprehensible.
“Security breaches are not governed by the seasons, by the weather, and certainly not by the time of day. They can occur at any time, and often under the cover of darkness. It’s vital to have security cameras that can record quality, discernible footage in a variety of light conditions, especially in near total darkness,” said Max Fang, Director of Video Security Products at Hikvision.
What Hikvision offers
Being the world’s leading video-based IoT solutions provider, Hikvision understands customers’ needs for capturing quality video in various lighting conditions. To meet user demands and requirements in this regard, Hikvision has innovated several advanced imaging technologies including ColorVu, DarkFighterX and HeatPro. These are discussed as follows.
ColorVu
ColorVu is an advanced technology enabling superb lowlight capturing of color, which is vital in identifying traits of objects (like cars) and individuals. The technology is made possible by two important hardware breakthroughs – an F1.0 super aperture design and an advanced sensor, both of which provide high-quality color images in challenging lighting conditions. “With an F1.0 super aperture and an advanced sensor, these intelligent eyes pull in four times the light of a conventional camera, for daylight-like color images in low-light conditions. Should light levels fall to zero, the built-in warm supplemental lighting ensure s the camera can still capture vivid color images within up-to 40 meters range,” Fang said, adding cameras with ColorVu technology can benefit anyone with lowlight capturing needs, especially users in the residential, small business, parking lot and park sectors.
DarkFighterX
Hikvision’s DarkFighterX is a breakthrough in video imaging technologies. Compared to conventional day/night cameras, which have IR illuminators to produce black and white images during the night, DarkFighterX produces superior colorful images by way of two sensors: one for IR imaging – ensuring that video footage is bright and sharp, and the other for visible light – allowing video images to be reproduced in full and vivid color.
“Based on the human eye bionics, DarkFighterX uses two sensors to simulate the rod and cone cells of the human eye, simultaneously acquiring visible and infrared light to collect the color data and brightness details respectively. DarkFighterX also adopts Hikvision SpecEX visual and thermal image fusion technology to combine the color data and brightness details of a scene, rendering true and detailed high definition full-color images in light conditions as low as 0.0005 lux,” Fang said. “Cameras with DarkFighterX can be used in a wide range of security scenarios, such as streets, railways, ports, squares, waterfronts, parks and forests, and anywhere colorful, high-definition images are needed around the clock.”
HeatPro
In cases where video security is needed in total darkness or in inclement weather conditions, thermal technology is the ideal – if not the only – solution. “Rather than using light, thermal cameras measure heat – or thermal radiation – to generate images from their field of view. In this way, the rendered image is far less affected by rain, snow, fog, smog or indeed anything that can obscure light,” Fang said.
In this regard, Hikvision has launched the HeatPro series of thermal cameras for perimeter detection and temperature measuring applications. These cameras are supported with advanced video analytics that can, for example, distinguish between individuals and vehicles to reduce false alarms. They can also measure temperature, detect flames and prevent a fire from the very beginning.
“The way HeatPro cameras ‘see’ allows them to pick up movements with high accuracy, giving security operatives eyes on objects, vehicles and intruders,” Fang said. “Combined with video content analysis technology, HeatPro cameras can offer a range of perimeter security solutions, such as line-crossing detection and intrusion detection. This means they can easily detect intruders moving through bushes or under the cover of complete darkness.”
Easily installed
According to Fang, the HeatPro series contains a number of different models and options, which can be built into various solutions, for instance seamlessly working with NVRs, AX PRO alarm systems and even Hik-Connect for real-time mobile alerts by phone. The cameras can also be easily installed, allowing installers to focus on more important jobs at hand.
“The HeatPro Series is designed to be efficiently and quickly installed, with a simple, three-step deployment, bringing setup time down to 30 seconds,” Fang said. “Traditionally thermal cameras require specialist engineers to configure and double check, which takes both extra time and energy. HeatPro cameras have been designed with installation time and effort in mind – they are simpler to install so installers can spend more time correctly configuring for optimum operations, and the lowest false alarm rate possible.”
More innovations with AI technologies
In its simplest sense, video security is the act of monitoring to protect lives and assets. But now, users’ needs have grown more complex, especially when it comes to capturing useful video information in challenging lighting conditions. To make sure users can have the best and most efficient video footage possible in these conditions, Hikvision has innovated a wide array of solutions to combine low-light imaging with AI technologies.
For example, cameras with ColorVu can integrate Hikvision’s cutting-edge AcuSense technology to help users focus only on events that matter to security. Empowered by deep learning algorithms, cameras can distinguish people and vehicles from other moving objects such as rain, leaves and animals in low-light conditions. Alarms will only be triggered when the pre-set intrusion type takes place. With this solution, video clips are sorted by human and vehicle categories, and object classification vastly improves search efficiency.
And, like aforementioned, the HeatPro series cameras feature deep-learning thermal video analytics for perimeter protection, and object temperature measurement and fire detection with real-time alarms. Features like accurate human/vehicle classification, visual and auditory alarms for perimeter protection, and speedy temperature exception alarms for fire prevention make them ideal for SMB applications.
As such, we can expect Hikvision to launch more advanced products and solutions with AI features to meet users’ lowlight capturing need.