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Security Technology

AI Could Power Next-gen CCTV Cameras 173

Posted by samzenpus from the the-unseen-mechanized-eye dept.
Barence writes "UK researchers are working on fitting CCTV cameras with artificial intelligence, allowing them to more quickly respond to crimes. The technology, being developed by University of Portsmouth scientists, would allow cameras to "hear" violent sounds and react, swiveling quickly in the direction of a broken window or somebody shouting abusively for example, before alerting an operator. The artificial intelligence powering the camera would also be able to respond to visual cues such as fights, or violent behaviour."
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AI Could Power Next-gen CCTV Cameras More

AI Could Power Next-gen CCTV Cameras

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  • Yeah... that'll work. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:17PM (#23944259)

    Nice idea- 'till someone gets his buddy to play a loud accordian solo ten feet away while he picks pockets out of frame.

    (Sorry for the AC, I'm on a public terminal.)

  • So, the idea... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by msauve ( 701917 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:18PM (#23944263)
    is to toss a firecracker in the other direction as a distraction for both the camera and the victim, before quietly garroting them?

  • Easy to subvert. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by CastrTroy ( 595695 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:19PM (#23944269)
    Couldn't you use this feature to make the camera turn away. Have somebody make a big ruckus, so the camera turns away, then go in and do the actual crime while the camera is focused somewhere else.

  • Re:Ninjas (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:23PM (#23944303)

    I agree. In fact if you look carefully you'll find over 50 comments posted by ninjas for this story alone.

  • a better idea (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ILuvRamen ( 1026668 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:29PM (#23944337)
    Hey, I've got an idea. First, why don't they upgrade the image quality so you can actually see what's going on and get good pictures of criminals? It all looks like blurry gas station cameras from 10 years ago right now. Why spend millions making them follow people intelligently if you still can't make out details or get a good image of the person?!

  • correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Eto_Demerzel79 ( 1011949 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:32PM (#23944357)
    ...wouldn't this classify as image or sound analysis package with really advanced algorithms and not really AI in the strictest sense? I mean by this definition "the animal" program written in Basic, where the program learns patterns to yes/no questions can likewise be considered an "AI". I would consider this program an AI if it was able to call 911 and describe the attacker/situation.

  • I feel better now (Score:4, Insightful)

    by mlwmohawk ( 801821 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @10:33PM (#23944371)

    Knowing that they will use "AI" to aim their cameras instead of just pointing them to a wide view, makes me feel good. The government and its fascist corporate accessories may be evil, but at least they are also incompetent.

    Balloons with angry faces will distract the cameras while you walk down the street unobserved.

  • Re:So, the idea... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by TubeSteak ( 669689 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @11:00PM (#23944611) Journal

    is to toss a firecracker in the other direction as a distraction for both the camera and the victim, before quietly garroting them?
    And the solution will be to make it illegal for one to make loud noises in public, or some other such nonsense.

  • Wow! Thought-powered cameras!!! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by FredThompson ( 183335 ) <fredthompson&mindspring,com> on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @11:50PM (#23944929)

    AI Could "power" Nex-gen CCTV Cameras?

    POWER?!?!

    Control? Yes. Power? No.

  • Re:So, the idea... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Lars512 ( 957723 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @11:50PM (#23944933)

    Exactly. The technology they're suggesting is not that useful. Let's think of a better idea.

    Suppose instead you use cameras with a full field of view, that don't need to swivel at all and always can record everything. Aside from recording a crime, can we do more?

    If you still have these microphones, you could can use them to pinpoint where on a hi-res camera feed the noise came from. If you can identify the type of sound, you could use them in some sort of alert system which escalates warnings to a real person.

    None of these fixes the quiet garotting scenario, since there's no sound. Instead, you have AI looking at physical cues and body language for suspicious behaviour. Even then, we're just talking about trying to get there in time to apprehend the culprit; nothing will save the victim.

  • "DRIVE", not "POWER" (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Ungrounded Lightning ( 62228 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2008 @11:58PM (#23944985) Journal

    Jeez. We're supposed to be techies here, not a clueless advertising department.

    There are proper terms for this:

      - If the AI provides energy to make the circuitry of the camera run, it's POWERing it.
      - If the AI provides processing to control the camera's operation and/or reducing the data it produces, it's DRIVing it.

    So unless this camera has a REALLY SMART power supply the headline is flat-out bogus.

  • And the test-case could be... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by kellererik ( 307956 ) on Thursday June 26, 2008 @02:10AM (#23945665)

    if(hot_chick()) {
          zoom_follow();
    }

  • Re:So, the idea... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by drsquare ( 530038 ) on Thursday June 26, 2008 @02:43AM (#23945793)

    Easier to follow the normal method: don't bother distracting the camera, commit the crime anyway in full view, give the finger to the camera operator, then walk off to remain unpunished forever. Of course if on the odd chance you are arrested by the single remaining policeman who isn't filling in paperwork or persecuting motorists, you won't get any time anyway as the prisons are full. Welcome to Britain.

  • Re:So, the idea... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by hvm2hvm ( 1208954 ) on Thursday June 26, 2008 @04:28AM (#23946239) Homepage
    That was exactly his point. That the government might do that even though it would never work. I have to agree that it seems most governments do this kind of shit every day. Instead of fixing the underlying problems they just patch up the effects those problems cause.

  • Re:So, the idea... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Alioth ( 221270 ) <no@spam> on Thursday June 26, 2008 @05:23AM (#23946439) Journal

    I have this strange insight that you read the Daily Mail.

  • Re:Ninjas (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 26, 2008 @06:12AM (#23946581)

    An even better exploit would be to create a loud argument on the right of the camera, and silently break in/do your criminal business/ to the left of the camera.

    The AI camera will home in on the argument (of course you will just have a loud argument about something useless (like ms vs linux) so that the police will not get involved. And your camera system has failed.

  • Security mindset... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by js_sebastian ( 946118 ) on Thursday June 26, 2008 @06:14AM (#23946595)

    1- Your pal "accidentally" makes a loud noise
    2- Cameras all turn towards him
    3- rob bank
    4- Profit

  • Re:Ninjas (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Pichu0102 ( 916292 ) <pichu0102@gmail.com> on Thursday June 26, 2008 @07:19AM (#23946819) Homepage Journal

    I wonder if while the cameras are first deployed, if everyone does "Silly Walks" for weeks...it will really fsck up the AI on the cameras? I'd have to think that after a week or so of them trained that way....they'd have so many false positives on 'normal' people going about their way, they'd just chuck the whole thing in the trash can.


    Someone over there try to remember this if they try to implement it....

    Or they'd just arrest and jail everyone who does "silly walks" on charges of trying to interfere with law enforcement.

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