impractical, both economically and physically. The cost of installing new, high-bandwidth cable or fiber network can cost several tens of thousands of dollars per mile, according to Longwatch Inc., a company based in Norwood, Mass., that has developed technology for sending video over existing SCADA control and telemetry networks. Subscribing to multiple cellular contracts to cover a service area was not very appealing either. The ability to use existing low-bandwidth networks eliminates these expenses.

Seeing it all

Technological advances in video automation also can alleviate sensory overload, another limitation on video surveillance. “People may be attempting to monitor hundreds of cameras, door and gate alarms, and radio communications,” says Bill Adams, chief executive officer of G5 Technologies Inc., an information-technology integrator based in Mount Laurel, N.J. Consequently, these sensors are providing more information than a reasonable number of security guards can process.

The backbone of the automation technologies that can solve this problem is a class of video-analysis software that can be programmed to recognize certain behaviors. “The software is continuously staring through the camera, looking for behaviors a human would normally be trained to look for,” says Adams. “Once calibrated, it doesn’t miss detection events.” He points out that this kind of analysis software allows a few security guards to monitor hundreds of cameras effectively.

Another important piece of technology for alleviating sensory overload is geospatial information systems (GISs). Because these systems capture, analyze and display data based on geography, they let security guards see the big picture, placing the data on three-dimensional maps of their facilities. “A GIS presents data from any and all sensor systems in a manner of interest to a particular user so the view is not overcrowded but still comprehensive,” says Adams. The system displays the data in layers so security can see the entire situation, yet retrieve details as necessary. It also can parse the data in Web Services for transmission to remote users carrying personal digital assistants (PDAs) or tablet personal computers (PCs).

Yet another piece of the puzzle is an automated reporting apparatus. “Technology has matured to where rules engines acting like knowledge switches can filter sensor alarms for presentation to users as desired,” explains Adams. He says the rules can be written to notify first responders automatically based on the type of alarm and the kind of communications device held by the responder. When the campus is large, has little to no infrastructure, or both, Adams usually recommends wireless networking to integrate the sensors and extend the existing network.

These technologies are already at work assisting the security forces at airports worldwide. In fact, G5 Technologies recently installed a security system based on them at the Tallahassee Regional Airport in Florida, responding to encouragement from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to adopt support technologies that can enhance security without adding new people. In this case, G5 automates security using the SmartCatch intelligent video surveillance system from Vidient Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif.

The video-analysis program monitors the behavior of everyone in the airport, checking for policy violations. Consider a passenger who might leave a bag unattended or walk the wrong way through an exit. The system alerts security, sending a video clip of the offense and showing the location of the violation. The same would happen if two employees were to walk through a restricted-access door using only one of their identity cards. The automation keeps intruders out and helps security to protect the facility.

For more information, search keyword “security” at www.automationworld.com.

See sidebar to this article: Security Networks, Layer by Layer