June 29th is National Camera Day, recognizing one of the greatest inventions ever created. In the 21st century, cameras have taken on new applications and are more powerful than ever before. How do we leverage these cutting-edge cameras to provide proactive security?
The evolution of camera technology
Cameras are everywhere – from film cameras, to mobile phones, to dash cams – cameras are ubiquitous and found in every facet of our society. Camera technology has steadily advanced over the last number of years, and this has greatly benefited the security industry in the quest to deter crime. Whereas previous incarnations of security cameras provided grainy footage, image quality from modern security cameras has progressed by leaps and bounds.
This has made our proactive security even more powerful, allowing us the ability to see every pixel and frame of the action. Our Video Security Units leverage the best in modern camera technology to create a full suite of options that help to detect crime – so we can deter it.
Stationary cameras establish the perimeter
Our Video Security Units are anchored by two Stationary cameras, which provide a fixed view of a site and help to setup perimeter coverage and situational awareness. They send back high-resolution images to our UL Certified Video Monitoring Facility that provide court quality evidence, transmitting with 4MP resolution. They feature water and dust resistant (IP66) and vandal-resistant (IK10) enclosures, which means they are built tough to withstand the elements and potential human tampering. Unpredictable weather is a major consideration in the construction of most security cameras, and our Stationary Cameras have been designed to operate in extreme temperatures, as low as -30° Celsius and as high as 60° Celsius – they can brave the cold and withstand the heat.
The addition of Infrared Night Vision allows our Monitoring Operators to detect potential criminals in the darkest of conditions, and provides excellent video quality at night that is as sharp as the footage captured during the light of day. The use of IR cut filters allows for an easy transition between day and night – cameras identify the absence of light and automatically switch to Night Mode, flooding the field of view with invisible infrared light. Our Video Security Units are also fully modular and adaptable – additional cameras can be integrated to improve video coverage by utilizing internal expansion ports that make the Units even more robust and powerful. Through the power of Artificial Intelligence, it has become easier to detect actual live individuals on site as opposed to wild life, weather, and inanimate objects. AI has greatly impacted how our cameras are utilized and operated by our Live Remote Video Monitoring team.
PTZ cameras zoom in on the action
Pan, Tilt, Zoom (PTZ) cameras have changed the game of both camera technology and proactive security. The Pan function allows our Operators to follow movement of individuals and vehicles across a site, allowing for a 360° view. They can perform Live Video Patrols from their Live Remote Video Monitoring station, and actively surveil a site as action happens – with video resolution of up to 1920×1080 at 30fps.
The Tilt function allows for vertical movement up and down, and also allows the Operator to re-center the camera view if needed. Add in the Zoom function, and you have a trinity of next level camera movement. The Zoom function allows our team to drill in on specific action and provide court quality evidence, while helping to track any situation with great detail – featuring a 25x Optical Zoom and a 16x Digital Zoom. Similar to the Stationary Cameras, they perform extremely well in low light, activating IR night vision with up 100 metres of IR distance.
The footage showcased here is taken directly from our syncroReports platform, which allows our clients’ to view the security cameras on their site in real-timep; offering a full view of our security solutions in action!
License Plate Readers track vehicles
The ability to track vehicles and entering sites is very important to businesses of all kinds, to ensure all vehicles arriving and exiting are there for a legitimate purpose. License plate readers are not new, but the evolution of camera technology has greatly increased their efficacy. Their enclosures are water and dust resistant (IP67) and vandal proof (IK10) – helping them to withstand the weather elements and potential human interference.
It features efficient H.265+ compression technology to save bandwidth on storage, which is important when dealing with large video file sizes, and with a maximum resolution of 2688×1520, there is a necessity to keep image quality high and file sizes low. There is no compromise of image quality – the License Plate Reader cameras have a total focal length of 8 to 32mm, and a field of view of 42.5” to 15.1” horizontal, 23.3” to 8.64” vertical, and 49.6° to 17.3° diagonal. These cameras are built to last – operating in temperatures from -30° to 60° Celsius, and leverage deep learning-based license plate capture and recognition algorithms, which results in a high recognition accuracy of common plates and complex-structured plates.
License plate reader cameras capture the alphanumerical values of a plate, and our proprietary technology converts them into metadata, and stores that information within our own centralized database, syncroPlates. We have taken this technology a step further by providing the ability to blacklist a vehicle from your property, which sends a special alert to our Monitoring team allowing them to immediately intervene.
Time-lapse cameras record project progress
Time-lapse cameras have become the standard for documenting building progress for many businesses in the construction industry – compiling video footage that is then edited into a short montage that compresses the months (and sometimes years) worth of building construction into just a few minutes. Leveraging our proprietary Cellular LTE platform, we capture 4K resolution photos in 15 minute intervals with no loss in image quality – with up to 8MP resolution. They feature a focal length of 2.8mm to 12mm, a horizontal Field of View of 108° to 30°, 56° to 17° vertical, and 131° to 35° diagonal. Encased in an aluminum-alloy body, its enclosure is water and dust resistant (IP67) and vandal-resistant (IK10).
Thermal cameras capture the heat of the moment
