Belgian Made Video Analysis Revealed Marketable in Kuwait

A coast surveillance project successfully realized by ACIC

Innovating spin-off of the research center Multitel, the Polytechnic Faculty of Mons and the Catholic university of Louvain, ACIC gets promoted after developing a panoramic surveillance software based on mobile cameras.

After a test-project successfully achieved in Kuwait (the surveillance of a highway stretch along a US army base), ACIC was asked to fulfill another challenge : watching a 10 kilometers coast running alongside to military base and oil refineries.

An alternative to the radar operating since June 2009

To offer a detection tool able to rival radar, working 24/7, the use of PAN-TILT (mobile) thermal camera was inevitable.  The individual sequences brought together in a panoramic picture are submitted to the program named MvPanoramaDetection.  As an intrusion is revealed  the software orders the camera to follow the intruder for a few seconds to allow its identification but no longer to avoid other potential intruders.  Therefore its scanning rhythm is especially based on sea transports velocity.  The precision of the system permits the identification of a zodiac 300 meters far from coast, or a boat far from several kilometers.  Successfully delivered on last June, the system is fully operational.  In conclusion, the MvPanoramaDetection represents a less expensive solution than radar, giving the security members the advantage of a visual identification.  Well done!

ACIC’s Kuwaiti project in figures…

9 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide area, 3 oil refineries and 1 military base, 3% of worldwide oil production, 800 cameras of which 50 are mobiles, 15 cameras equipped with MvPanoramaDetection, 160 cameras equipped with MvActivityDetection, 19 servers in 7 places, 24/7 surveillance, detection from 300 meters to several kilometers

Few competitors for that technology looking for partners

This was not the first experience for ACIC in Kuwait.  UNO had already chosen ACIC’s solutions to watch over their new building opened recently in Mishref.  With MvPanoramaDetection, ACIC definitely reaches a higher level in its expertise, meeting their major concurrent among Israeli and American companies.  More locally they keep developing and promoting their other software’s (MvPeopleCounting, MvActivityDetection, MvCameraAnomaly…) in Belgium and abroad.  As their solutions are adjustable on most existing surveillance systems, ACIC is constantly looking for partners, integrators and distributors to sell or install its highly technologic solutions.  Seeing how satisfied clients are lets think ACIC is ready to open to new horizons for coming years…

About ACIC

Created in 2003, ACIC’s team is made of engineers, computer scientists and Ph.D.’s in applied sciences specialized in the creation of video analytics systems.  A camera equipped with an  ACIC solution become an intelligent and powerful detector able to reveal suspicious-looking  presence, abandoned parcels, thefts (something missing in the image) or someone making wrong way.  Following a pre-defined procedure, the system can generate alarms or transmit data’s to the user, like it’s the case with MvPeopleCounting.

ACIC’s advantage: a young and capable team, with great skills of adaptability and creativity helping them to create video analysis software for very specific destinations and use.

Through MvPanoramaDetection, the whole work of ACIC has recently been rewarded by Agoria’s Bravo L’Industrie Award.

Observision receives exclusive certification for its video analytics software

Xtract™ system in UK Government’s catalogue of approved security equipment

Heteren, the Netherlands – July 20, 2009 – 
Observision BV, provider of the fastest Video Content Analysis system for Video Surveillance,
today officially announced that it has been granted an i-LIDS certification for its video analytics software
“Observision Xtract™ system 3.2” by the independent UK Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB)
as primary detection system for operational alerts as well as event based recording in sterile zone monitoring
applications. The certification implies a mention in the honourable UK Government’s catalogue of approved
electronic security equipment and is usable in- and outside the United Kingdom. 

Observision’s Xtract™ system 3.2 now belongs to a select group of video analytics technologies that has been approved by the
HOSDB for governmental use. Mark Bloemendaal, CEO and co-founder of Observision BV: "We are proud that we have received
the certification for our Xtract™ system. This emphasizes once again the distinctive power of the Observation’s proprietary technology.
No other video content analysis solution approaches the high ratios offered by the Observision Xtract™ system. Our performance guarantee
is now confirmed via the i-LIDS certification of the authoritative Home Office Scientific Development Branch in the United Kingdom." 

About the i-LIDS certification of the HOSDB

The HOSDB Library for Intelligent Detection Systems (i-LIDS) is an image library used to test video analytic product performance against an
objective and professional benchmark. Experts at HOSDB conduct yearly testing of video analytics solutions from companies world-wide.
To date, a limited number of video analytics providers have received i-LIDS certification as "primary" detection systems for operational alerts in
sterile zone monitoring applications. The certification as "Primary System" indicates that a detection system can operate as a standalone
system, without the support of a secondary system, due to its superb detection capabilities. 

About Observision’s Video and Audio Analysis Technology

Observision, www.observision.com, utilizes a special video analysis approach. The novelty is that the video analysis function (or application) is
split. In regular video analysis systems a specific analysis function operates in a single pass. This implies that for each analysis function a
video-to-event application is active. Observision utilizes a different method: the video analysis is handled in a two-step fashion: 1. Perform a
complete object analysis on the video stream (real-time), 2, Execute (multiple) rule analysis on the results of (1). The result is a more concise
detection of visible objects plus increased capabilities and performance in handling multiple and also multi-camera rule analysis sets. The Observision
method is labelled as Video Object Analysis. Key is the intermediate generation of the Object Data. As first result this method is especially in the case
of complex, combined and/or multiple rule processing. The Object base method exploits the fact that all objects have been analyzed and stored which yields
that only the rule processing is instantiated multiple times. As a result of Observision Xtract™ system's capabilities, security operators can increase their
awareness of events of interest, while saving labour and significantly reducing the potential for human error. 

ioimage video analytics protects Kutztown’s water storage tanks

intelligent IP cameras provide instant visual verification of threats to critical infrastructure

Denton, TX July 14th, 2009 – ioimage, the pioneer of intelligent video appliances designed for simplicity, announced today that its products have been installed to protect the water storage tanks of the borough of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

The two massive tanks, located at separate remote sites, hold up to one million gallons and serve 15,000 residents. The existing surveillance system was upgraded after a group of individuals climbed one of the tanks – a prank which cost the municipality $9,000 and forced a 48-hour shutdown in order to inspect the premises and ensure the water supply was not compromised.

Both tanks have been equipped with ioimage wide dynamic range IP cameras with built-in self-sustained video analytics to monitor the top hatches and service maintenance ladders, areas most vulnerable to sabotage. Surveillance staff at the monitoring center is instantly alerted to unauthorized vehicles and persons entering the premises, loiterers and accidental security breaches such as an employee neglecting to lock a gate. Notifications are also sent to their blackberries and via email.

The project – which was partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development – has been a great success, according to Frank Caruso, IT Director for the Borough of Kutztown. “Our previous surveillance system was unreliable and prone to false alarms,” said Caruso. “We had to search through reams of video to find what triggered an alert, which could have been anything from a deer to one of our own maintenance vehicles. We need instant visual verification to know that an alert is authentic, and the ioimage solution does just that. Now we are aware of who is on the premises at any one time and can effectively monitor the vicinity.”

Set-up was easy and the system has quickly proven itself, according to Dennis Cichelli, Director of LANtek Inc., who installed the system. “All we had to do was some preliminary work to set fields of depth, while false alarms caused by small animals, birds and moving branches have been virtually eliminated,” said Cichelli. “We have found ioimage to be the best video analytics solution on the market today.”

“ioimage is pleased to have provided the Borough of Kutztown with a proactive, intelligent video solution which enables them to immediately detect and assess a security breach,” said John Whiteman, ioimage president, Americas. “This installation illustrates how video analytics is highly effective in protecting critical infrastructure such as water storage tanks.”

MATE – Intelligent Video Announces Version 4.0 – a New Generation of Video Analytics. 4.0 includes significant enhancements and changes to MATE’s product line.

Yehud, Israel (February 3, 2009)

MATE-Intelligent Video, the technology leader in intelligent video analytics released today version 4.0 which incorporates significant technological improvements, new features, enhanced capabilities and introduces new products.

“This is the most considerable release for MATE with both technological and creative advancements in video analytics” says Dan Raudnitz – Vice President of R&D at MATE – Intelligent Video.

MATE’s new intelligent video encoder, TriggerNG (Next Generation), is a revolutionary transmission device with 4CIF/CIF resolution and MJPEG/MPEG4 video streaming. It supports eight different video analytics detection features, object classification and an analog output with video analytics overlay on the video. The encoder differentiates itself with a robust and rich feature mix video analytics platform available at an extremely competitive price.

In version 4.0, MATE unveils Rule Dependency, a feature allowing users to combine multiple detection rules in a logical way and custom naming of alarms greatly enhancing end user’s control. Additionally, MATE increased its channel capacity offering systems capable to analyze up to twelve analog or IP channels on a single server.

Following its open architecture principle, MATE continues to support previously integrated platforms and adds new technology partners.  Version 4.0 is fully integrated with American Dynamics®  VideoEdge®, Hirsch Velocity, IQeye 753 series and DVTel 5.3 providing an excellent system compatibility with cutting-edge video analytics for a pro-active video surveillance.

“With this new release we confirm our place as a leading provider of video analytics technology. We continue to design products that work, that are intuitive and bring value to customers.” says John Szczygiel President of MATE Intelligent Video.

New technology provides breakthrough in cross-border intelligence gathering & evidence management

Thursday 9 July 2009
Scyron’s new DEMON manager enterprise overcomes issue of sharing large digital files such as video for instant online intelligence gathering between law enforcement agencies for the first time.

Scyron, the security and surveillance services company has launched today its DEMON enterprise system to address the problem of sharing and managing intelligence between law enforcement services nationally and internationally. It provides a breakthrough with the electronic sharing and management of information across borders using ‘metadata’ that minimises bandwidth and storage. Available immediately, the DEMON manager enterprise system has been created with a Microsoft framework and meets internationally-recognised evidence and intelligence management standards.
Since 9/11, the effectiveness of traditional intelligence and evidence management confined largely to regional or national law enforcement services, has been questioned. Following the success of Scyron’s DEMON manager workgroup (departmental intelligent evidence management system) in 2008, DEMON manager enterprise extends collaboration from within one law enforcement department to multiple departments for the first time – from volume crime through to dynamic intelligence gathering between international organisations. This is achieved using Scyron’s proprietary metadata to categorise and manage the specific incidents – from video and CCTV to mobile phone footage.

For example, DEMON manager enterprise would allow an Indian law enforcement agency to search for and find a video of a terrorism suspect logged with a law enforcement agency in London within seconds. Instead of searching the video, the officer searches the metadata which contains stills of images from the video together with text classifying its contents. On finding the information on the suspect, the full video can be transmitted. Alternatively, the officers in India may even schedule a download time so as not to consume bandwidth resources and inconvenience other officers using the network.
As metadata uses only 0.1% of the bandwidth of actual evidence such as large video files, DEMON manager enterprise provides a rapid means of narrowing down potential evidence. Previously collaboration between different organisations has been limited, as the only option was to download all potential evidence. DEMON manager enterprise opens up a new line of intelligence for far greater collaboration between different organisations as well as an electronic audit trail during major investigations.

Michael Wilks, CEO of Scyron commented, “DEMON manager enterprise is the direct result of two man years of R&D in collaboration with Microsoft and our international customers. The result is a solution for rapid, cross-border intelligence and evidence gathering for the first time. Wilks added, “Mirroring the shift of emphasis from information held mainly within pockets of single law enforcement services, DEMON manager enterprise supports the focus on sharing information across multiple organisations, disciplines and continents, that leads to powerful clusters of expertise and intelligence.”

Also, DEMON manager enterprise has an ‘expert-system’ feature to overcome the issue of sharing over 6,000 different video formats that can slow down an investigation. For example, the system can learn a proprietary video format or to recognise a particular video player and add this information to its common database. The next time the system comes across that file format, it is configured automatically to play the file which saves time.

DEMON creates a digital bit-for-bit copy of the video evidence, ensuring compliance with evidence laws in the UK and overseas. Also, the software provides a secure and tamper-proof audit trail of evidence to comply with: the Data Protection Act; ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers); and MoPI (Management of Police Information) guidelines. Also, it can be configured for country-specific information management standards and rules.
Scyron developed the DEMON manager enterprise system using the Microsoft .NET framework including a SQL server database as a common standard on which to rapidly search, categorise and track multiple types of evidence.

Tim Bloechl, managing director, Public Safety and National Security at Microsoft commented, “Scyron has helped set the standard for global intelligence gathering and evidence management with DEMON manager enterprise edition. We believe DEMON will advance the way major international investigations are handled and make a significant contribution to improving safety and security.”

The DEMON manager enterprise system comprises a number of software modules that work independently as well as together to make the extraction, analysis, preparation and presentation of digital intelligence simple, easy-to-use, rapid and cost effective.  It is encrypted securely over a Wide Area Network or the Internet.

Currently, existing DEMON manager evidence management systems are in use with law enforcement services in the US, the Netherlands and the UK including the following police services: Derbyshire; Greater Manchester; Northumbria; Humberside; Warwickshire; West Mercia; and West Midlands which helped in its development.  Other Scyron software is in use in every UK police service.