Oct 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

Aimetis surveillance software suite uses algorithms to decipher criminal activity

Video surveillance has become commonplace in security and public-safety circles, but the software used to manage data must be smart. It must recognize perils and know the difference between humans and objects. It also has to survive in a mobile environment so crucial information from an incident can be sent to decision-makers at central command-and-control centers.

Software developer Aimetis recently released a mobile version of its video-analytic software suite that can do just that: decipher events and alert authorities to criminal activity while enduring harsh environments. On-Board is an intelligent video software suite for mobile environments that integrates the company's Symphony video and event-management software with ruggedized hardware.

Symphony was introduced to meet the needs of existing clients, such as the Florida Department of Transportation, that use it for security purposes, said Marc Holtenhoff, CEO of Aimetis. Other targeted markets include public safety, public transportation, maritime and other organizations that need analytics for mining vast amounts of video data.

With video analytics, the software recognizes certain events that could be identified as interesting to authorities — items left behind or removed, camera tampering, or events specified by the agency using the software. When the software flags an event, it sends an image to mobile devices.

“Common applications might be identifying when someone leaves a knapsack in the corner or people counting,” Holtenhoff said. “In a mobile environment, the software can estimate the occupancy on a commuter railcar as passengers get on and off.”

Using MPEG-4 compression, On-Board supports real-time video capture at 25 to 30 frames per second for a maximum of eight IP cameras. As an open-architecture platform, it also supports information sharing with third-party systems and devices, including cameras from more than 20 different manufacturers.

Although the On-Board hard drive — sealed in a waterproof and dustproof enclosure — is removable, built-in Wi-Fi support limits the need to take the hard drive out of its casing. For example, as buses move in and out of a Wi-Fi-equipped transportation depot during their daily shifts, video data can be transmitted automatically to central command and operations.

System integrator Dynamic Security has used the system for municipal and government deployments. Barton Kartoz, the company's vice president of sales, said the system is flexible enough to meet government customers' budgetary constraints. As well, command-and-control needs software analytic tools for real-time situational awareness and data mining, he said.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media, Inc.