Video Analytics enables video to be rapidly analysed for specific data such as behaviour patterns, tracking movement of people/objects and monitoring zones. It is starting to transform the way security, safety and marketing images are monitored and reviewed. Video Analytics is also referred to as Intelligent Video or Video Content Analysis.
Tools using sets of software algorithms run on computers, digital video recorders, video cameras or specialised video processing units. These Algorithms are integrated with video and the technology can evaluate the contents of the video using meta-data tagging i.e. data within data to determine specified information.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for an operator to spot an incident or indeed anything out of the ordinary on a bank of monitors in a typical CCTV control room. Research shows that the efficiency level of the operator drops dramatically over a period of time, probably as a result of information overload and after little more than 20 minutes the average operator takes in about 5% of the information presented.
The likelihood of spotting a real event is estimated to be around one in a thousand.