In an ever-evolving business world where security and safety are vital, modern technologies continue to revolutionise the field of video surveillance systems. Video surveillance has swiftly become an integral component of business operations as it enables managers and employees to track events as they unfold. With advanced technologies, this can now occur in real-time, and among them, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game changer. Utilising AI has transformed the way video surveillance is conducted, making modern video management systems more precise, efficient, and proactive in identifying and preventing potential threats.
What are Video Management Systems?
Video management systems (VMS) are commonly used in the security and surveillance fields to improve safety in public spaces, transportation hubs, office buildings, medical facilities and more. They gather data from various cameras and other sensors to address all facets of video handling, including storage, retrieval, analysis and display. These systems are also used to obtain business intelligence through user behaviour analysis to enhance the customer experience in retail and other businesses. A video management system can be configured in many ways based on the number of video channels, video analytics applications required, and system cost. These systems will typically include cameras, an NVR or VMS server, a display and a storage space.
Traditionally, the analysis of multiple video streams was time-consuming as companies had to rely on human perception to visually identify the events occurring in video feeds. This approach had numerous drawbacks, including violation of privacy, difficulty in scaling, and fatigue-related errors made by operators leading to missing occurrences, false alarms and inefficient resource utilisation. This is where artificial intelligence steps in, providing the ability to quickly process massive volumes of data and make informed decisions. AI is transforming the video surveillance market by enabling faster and more accurate event recognition at a lower cost. Therefore, AI-powered video analytics are rapidly becoming popular among VMS software providers.
Let us explore the various AI-oriented techniques used in VMS as well as their practical applications.
AI-Oriented Techniques in Video Management Software Solutions
- Video Analysis and Real-Time Monitoring
AI-based systems facilitate real-time video data monitoring and conduct analytics functions such as detection, trajectory mapping, speed and dwell time measurement, and path and position mapping. These features improve the understanding of video data and allow personnel to be actively involved in safety-critical situations, potential security threats and general management. They also help with collecting and summarising large amounts of data in a time-efficient and reliable manner to produce valuable insights.
- Facial Recognition
Facial recognition is an AI-powered feature that can be used to carry out demographic research in video feeds. Data such as age and gender are mapped to provide users with an overview of the consumer categories that are relevant for various purposes.
- Object Detection
Video analytics systems use object detection to identify and detect objects. The application of AI enables the use of case-based categorisation, such as people and vehicles in a traffic situation or individuals in high-foot-traffic spaces like malls and stadiums. Users can access statistics such as people count, and crowd count by using object detection to better understand the details of a monitored scenario. This is particularly important when developing proper action plans.
- Automated Alerts
Automated notifications can be set up in video surveillance by using AI to identify specific or established criteria in video streams. For instance, a vehicle crossing a red light can be automatically detected, and the user is warned. This reinforces security processes, making them safer and more accessible for all participants.
Top 3 Applications of AI in Video Surveillance
- Security and Public Safety
AI-based video surveillance contributes significantly to enhancing security and public safety standards. AI algorithms are designed to assess video streams in real-time, leading to greater accuracy and reliability. Real-time analysis enables personnel to respond quickly to safety-critical situations. AI can also be used for anomaly detection, which reduces safety risks by identifying suspicious events such as unauthorised access. Moreover, AI is used for crowd management to prevent occurrences such as stampedes.
- Traffic Monitoring and Management
- Traffic Flow Prediction
AI models can be designed to analyse historical and real-time traffic data, which will be consolidated to understand traffic flow patterns and trends. Traffic planners will use predictive analysis to forecast future conditions and manage them more effectively.
- Incident Detection and Management
AI-powered systems can identify and detect traffic issues such as accidents, speeding and roadblocks. Once discovered, this information can be used to ensure a prompt response by dispatching personnel to the site.
- Adaptive Traffic Signal Control
Conventional traffic signal systems are designed to operate on fixed schedules, which makes them inefficient in emergency situations. Adaptive traffic lights are used to align with demand fluctuations, and they help optimise traffic flow.
- Retail Management
Businesses typically use AI to enhance their business operations, and the retail industry has a wide range of applications for AI implementation. These include efficient inventory management, streamlined pricing, personalised buying experiences, promotional strategies and operational optimisation. Retailers can also use AI to gather data on customer behaviour and attributes for segmentation purposes.
Discover Video Management Systems with Artificial Intelligence at SPIRALTECH
Are you searching for a video management software solution that uses AI to deliver valuable insights? Then look no further than SPIRALTECH. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, we are a full-service IP video solution provider in Singapore that offers a wide range of products and services to our customers. Our solutions range from thermal cameras and vape sensors to IP video surveillance systems. We can also assist you with system design, technical support and training. If you have any inquiries about our products and services, contact us at +65 64441836.