becky420
06-23-2008, 07:08 AM
Spy cameras that see and hear
Intelligent CCTV cameras are being developed in Britain that not only see trouble but are able to hear it, scientists said.
The technology allows the sounds of breaking glass, someone shouting, or the noise of a crowd gathering to be 'learned' by artificial intelligence software in the cameras.
The technology could slash the speed with which crimes are caught on camera and responded to by police but will again raise a debate about the extent of "surveillance Britain" and the use of such technology.
The three-year project by the University of Portsmouth aims to adapt artificial intelligence software already being developed to identify visual patterns.
The existing software is so sophisticated it can identify minor visual cues such as whether a car aerial is up or if the car has a dent as well as more complex activity such as violent behaviour. If a CCTV camera is trained on a shopping precinct, the software would use artificial intelligence to notice if someone raises their arm suddenly or runs, researchers said.
The new software will alert operators immediately to any unusual activity and call the police.
The research team is now working on using the same software to 'learn' sounds and react to them by swinging the CCTV camera towards them at the same speed a person would turn their head if they heard someone scream, which is about 300 milliseconds.
The technology would also overcome the problem of camera operators losing concentration when watching banks of television screens because it would alert them in real time to threatening behaviour and sounds.
By the end of the three-year programme the researchers hope to have generated algorithms that can be used inside existing CCTV software. The system is underpinned by artificial intelligence and each successive generation of algorithms would become more sophisticated as they "learn" what they are looking and listening out for.
Intelligent CCTV cameras are being developed in Britain that not only see trouble but are able to hear it, scientists said.
The technology allows the sounds of breaking glass, someone shouting, or the noise of a crowd gathering to be 'learned' by artificial intelligence software in the cameras.
The technology could slash the speed with which crimes are caught on camera and responded to by police but will again raise a debate about the extent of "surveillance Britain" and the use of such technology.
The three-year project by the University of Portsmouth aims to adapt artificial intelligence software already being developed to identify visual patterns.
The existing software is so sophisticated it can identify minor visual cues such as whether a car aerial is up or if the car has a dent as well as more complex activity such as violent behaviour. If a CCTV camera is trained on a shopping precinct, the software would use artificial intelligence to notice if someone raises their arm suddenly or runs, researchers said.
The new software will alert operators immediately to any unusual activity and call the police.
The research team is now working on using the same software to 'learn' sounds and react to them by swinging the CCTV camera towards them at the same speed a person would turn their head if they heard someone scream, which is about 300 milliseconds.
The technology would also overcome the problem of camera operators losing concentration when watching banks of television screens because it would alert them in real time to threatening behaviour and sounds.
By the end of the three-year programme the researchers hope to have generated algorithms that can be used inside existing CCTV software. The system is underpinned by artificial intelligence and each successive generation of algorithms would become more sophisticated as they "learn" what they are looking and listening out for.