I was always wondering, how its possible to monitor all the cameras through different screens. Even though i haven’t seen it in real, but have seen that in films… I have seen in films, a security officer sitting in a chair with a cup of coffee in his hand and monitoring at least 20 monitoring screens (relatively small), images are streamed from places where security cameras are installed. I can understand that its pretty difficult. Its possible when we talk about an office premise, where movement of public is less. But what about a public place where there is a lot of movement of people. How is it possible to monitor all those screens when there is variable movement… And nothing is unique any where.. Well, until i got to see this link , i thought its possible.

If you have ever wondered how security guards can possibly keep an unfailingly vigilant watch on every single one of dozens of television monitors, each depicting a different scene, the answer seems to be (as you suspected): they can’t.

Instead, they can now rely on computers to constantly analyze the patterns, sizes, speeds, angles and motion picked up by the camera and determine — based on how they have been programmed — whether this constitutes a possible threat. In which case, the computer alerts the security guard whose own eyes may have been momentarily diverted. Or shut.

An alarm can be raised, for instance, if the computer discerns a vehicle that has been standing still for too long (say, a van in the drop-off lane of an airport terminal) or a person who is loitering while everyone else is in motion. By the same token, it will spot the individual who is moving rapidly while everyone else is shuffling along. It can spot a package that has been left behind and identify which figure in the crowd abandoned it. Or pinpoint the individual who is moving the wrong way down a one-way corridor.

Because one person’s “abnormal situation” is another person’s “hot dog vendor attracting a small crowd,” the computers can be programmed to discern between times of the day and days of the week.

If this is true and doable, i think they are doing a fantastic job, by making the life of the security officers and government very easy. Its quite an interesting technology. Appreciates the way its designed and done and well ahead am looking forward to see the actual implementation success.

Looking from a different perspective, i feel that no matter how much you design and program, ultimately personal profiling is not done. There is no profiling based on “gut” feeling or basic instinct. I remember reading a story on how based on gut feeling that an airport officer averted a bombing attack in US. The officer felt a person susceptible (gut feeling or his actions), and he checked the persons parked vehicle to find fully packed arsenals. Now is that possible with such technologies.

Coming to the point, a culprit can mock the normal guy and do some bad action. Lets analyze whats this technology is doing, its finding the odd one out most of the time. Or it is looking for abnormal situations. Now the question arises, whether the actual culprit is always an odd one from the general or he is part of it. He can do some actions by being and acting normal also. Some naive ones, might be doing such stupid things of running in a slow moving path, else the trained culprit will be aware of the methodology to be adopted to get unnoticed.

What if there are 10 people doing an abnormal activity, I feel the technology will find it as a normal activity and the normal people doing an abnormal one. . I am not saying its always possible, but thinking aloud i feel work around is always there.

Manned computer screening seems good here, and i feel this technology should act as a back up plan or helper for the security guards, than replacing them. Lets see how this technology is going to get adopted in the market and whats the success rate.

Most importantly, its an interesting technology, very much innovative and a life savor….