Security concerns have become important for industries worldwide, spanning from manufacturing plants to retail outlets and urban surveillance systems. Traditional video surveillance systems have long been relied upon, yet they often need help to keep pace with the changing landscape of security threats. However, with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) video analytics, a new era of security enhancement has begun.
Surveillance is vital when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of assets, individuals, and infrastructure.
Whether it's proactively monitoring for potential security breaches or identifying suspicious behaviour, surveillance systems are indispensable tools across industries. However, the volume of video data generated by surveillance cameras can be a lot for human operators, leading to missed opportunities and delayed responses. This is where AI video analytics software steps in, utilising machine learning algorithms to automate and enhance the analysis of video footage.
Now, let's look into video understanding of AI video analytics to help enhance security.
This part of the blog will cover how video content analysis is done in different formats for various purposes.
Classification: Enhancing Security with AI
AI algorithms can be trained to classify objects, people, and activities within video footage. For instance, AI can distinguish between routine maintenance tasks performed by authorised personnel and unauthorised individuals attempting to access restricted areas. By instantly flagging such suspicious activities, AI empowers security teams to respond swiftly and mitigate potential risks.
Action Detection: Identifying Threats in Real-Time
In a retail environment, AI-powered action detection algorithms play a pivotal role in identifying specific actions or events of interest. For example, if someone attempts to hide merchandise or avoid security measures, AI can promptly detect such behaviours and alert security personnel. By minimising response times, AI video analytics helps mitigate losses and safeguard assets.
Dense Captioning: Providing Contextual Insights
City surveillance systems benefit greatly from dense captioning, which enables AI systems to generate detailed textual descriptions of activities captured within video frames. For instance, if an accident or conflict occurs in a public space, AI can provide real-time updates, assisting police in prioritising response efforts effectively.
Multi-View and Multi-Modal Analysis: Comprehensive Security Solutions
In scenarios like border security monitoring or critical infrastructure protection, AI algorithms analyse video feeds from multiple cameras and sensors simultaneously. By correlating information from various sources, AI enhances situational awareness and enables proactive security measures.
Action Forecasting: Anticipating Security Risks
Predictive analytics can pull historical data and real-time insights to forecast potential security threats. For instance, in a city, AI can analyse passenger movement patterns to predict congestion points or identify individuals exhibiting suspicious behaviour. By predicting security risks in advance, AI empowers security personnel to deploy resources strategically and mitigate threats proactively.
Industries Benefiting from AI Video Analytics
1. Manufacturing and Logistics:
AI video analytics plays a crucial role in ensuring safety compliance, optimising workflows, and preventing theft or tampering in manufacturing and logistics environments.
- Safety Compliance: AI-powered video analytics software can monitor individuals and their compliance with safety protocols. For example, sensors equipped with AI algorithms can detect if workers are wearing appropriate safety gear such as helmets or goggles. If a violation is detected, alerts can be sent to supervisors.
- Workflow Optimisation: By analysing video footage, AI can identify inefficiencies. For instance, AI can detect jams or machinery malfunctions and provide real-time insights to optimise production flows. This leads to increased productivity and cost savings for the organisation.
- Theft Prevention: AI algorithms can monitor inventory storage areas and detect any unauthorised access or tampering. For example, if a warehouse camera detects suspicious activity, such as someone attempting to steal goods, AI can trigger an alarm and notify security personnel, preventing potential losses.
2. Retail:
In the retail sector, AI video analytics enhances customer experiences, prevents theft, and optimises store operations.
- Enhanced Customer Experiences: AI-powered video analytics can analyse customer behaviour and preferences to personalise shopping experiences. For example, if a retail camera detects a customer browsing a particular product category, AI can recommend similar items or promotions to enhance their shopping journey.
- Theft Prevention: AI algorithms can detect suspicious behaviour, such as shoplifting or fraudulent transactions in real time. For instance, if a customer tries to leave the store without paying for items, AI can alert store staff to intervene and prevent losses.
3. City Surveillance:
AI-powered video analytics revolutionises urban security by providing real-time monitoring and traffic management.
- Real-time Monitoring: AI algorithms can analyse video feeds from surveillance cameras to detect suspicious activities such as loitering, vandalism, or unauthorised access in public spaces. For instance, if a city surveillance camera detects a group of individuals engaging in aggressive behaviour, AI can alert law enforcement to intervene and maintain public safety.
- Traffic Management: Video analytics and AI can analyse traffic patterns and congestion levels to optimise traffic flow and reduce traffic. For example, if a traffic camera detects a traffic accident or jam, AI can reroute vehicles and adjust traffic signal timings to minimise delays and improve overall traffic efficiency.
- Emergency Response: In the event of a natural disaster or public emergency, AI-powered video analytics can quickly identify affected areas and coordinate emergency response efforts. For example, if a city surveillance camera detects a fire or flood, AI can automatically notify emergency services and provide real-time updates on the situation to facilitate timely intervention.
Other than this, the medical industry, forensic investigation, banking sector, and more can benefit from AI Video Surveillance. Currently, one of the world's biggest events, the Olympics, in Paris, has tested its AI surveillance systems, deploying crowd surveillance technology during two large events. This shows how AI is slowly becoming integral for all industries.
As industries across various sectors embrace video analytics and AI, the security landscape undergoes a profound shift. By leveraging video AI platforms like Theia from Phronetic AI, organisations can proactively detect and respond to security threats with unprecedented speed and accuracy. From enhancing safety compliance to optimising traffic flow in cities, AI is revolutionising security and making it a necessity in today's interconnected world. By harnessing the synergies between human expertise and machine intelligence from Theia by Phronetic AI, we can create safer, more resilient environments for all.