Intelligent Video Surveillance for Security Applications

by Curt Hall

The US Customs Service has begun using an intelligent video surveillance system along the southern border of the US. The application, known as the Video Early Warning (VEW) system by ObjectVideo (http://www.objectvideo.com), is already in use by US Customs along the US-Canadian border. VEW is an important development because it demonstrates how advanced analytical processing, when combined with video cameras, can transform video surveillance from a passive forensic process into an automated proactive surveillance tool by accurately detecting, identifying, and analyzing surveillance images captured on video (in real time) to discern their threat levels. And although the initial deployments of VEW are government applications intended for border protection, the technology is also useful for private-sector security applications -- such as inside building monitoring and perimeter surveillance -- and for keeping a watchful eye on construction sites, supply dumps, and other outdoor developments.