Security Sales & Integration April 2023 - 49

ing in dark areas where there is no added light
source, such as remote energy substations. They
enable detection at distances that are three
to four times greater than those that can be
achieved by optical cameras with integrated infrared
or with white light illuminators. In addition,
they can detect the heat signatures of people
who are attempting to hide behind bushes
or other foliage to evade being seen, " he says.
Patel adds that thermal cameras present a clear
indication of an intrusion, along with visual confirmation
in no-light environments since thermal
technology does not rely on visual optics.
" This is extremely important in an area where
lighting infrastructure is impossible or does not
exist. Thermal cameras can also cover a lot more
area than traditional visual cameras, so less infrastructure
is required in terms of cabling which is
specifically advantageous in remote areas. "
Color accuracy is a key benefit, Barbosa
believes, noting that if an end user is doing
a search leveraging AI-based analytics, a
poor-quality camera may mis-classify a vehicle
as brown when it is, in fact, orange. " Color accuracy
impacts the ability to trust in the evidence
the camera captures. The longer we can
keep a camera capturing colors, the better it
is for forensic search or real-time notification.
Once in IR mode, the colors are gone from
the image. So, it's important to strike a balance
between low lux and IR in camera design, " he
advises.
Key Verticals to Target
Because of the breakthroughs in thermal and
nighvision video surveillance and the myriad
benefits they deliver to end users, adoption is
increasing, particularly for certain applications.
As Johnson echoes, the adoption of thermal
cameras continues to be application-specific
and, as the value of the assets being protected
rises, so does the willingness of the end user
to spend more on technologies to reduce the
risks to these assets. These cameras tend to be
installed mostly for perimeter intrusion detection
systems at critical sites, he reports, because
demand for thermal cameras is driven by a need
for long-range perimeter intrusion detection.
Specific markets he cites include government
installations, airports, borders and critical infrastructure
sites such as energy facilities, reservoirs,
water treatment facilities, and dams.
" Cameras that offer dual imagers - thermal
and optical - are also well suited for monitorsecuritysales.com
ing
tunnels, " he says. " While the visible imager
can be used to monitor normal activity inside
the tunnel, the thermal imager can assist in the
event of a fire when smoke is present in the
tunnel. The thermal imager can provide monitoring
centers with situational awareness when
smoke obscures the view of the visible imager. "
Patel concurs that thermal cameras are widely
adopted for perimeter surveillance of critical
infrastructure. Since critical infrastructure
requires a higher level of perimeter protection
in all conditions, thermal cameras have become
the obvious choice due to their detection capabilities
regardless of lighting conditions available,
he points out. " Additionally, many critical
infrastructure sites are remote in nature, so having
infrastructure setup in terms of cabling is
less of a challenge for thermal cameras. Thermal
cameras with proper lenses can provide longer
coverage areas, and they reduce infrastructure
and setup cost. "
So which types of alerts/monitoring options
are end users relying on to be notified when
these cameras detect an intrusion or potential
incident? Barbosa weighs in that end users are
relying more and more on AI-enabled camera
analytics to provide accurate detection, particularly
in low light, of objects such as people
and vehicles. " AI-enabled cameras can collect
attributes about the scene such as the colors
of clothing. This highlights the importance of
accurately capturing colors even in the lowest
light conditions, " he emphasizes. " End users
have flexible options for alarm notifications
Analytics can provide tracks of
movement for individuals in
the detection area to further
help with security personnel
dispatch and more effective
response to a threat.
Built-in
intelligence helps
to reduce the
number of false
detections.
Reducing false
alarms improves
the efficiency of
security personnel
at a facility who
may need to be
dispatched to the
area to investigate
the alarm.
- Chris Johnston, Bosch
APRIL 2023 Security Sales & Integration 49
COURTESY AXIS COMMUNICATIONS
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration April 2023

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