Video surveillance systems seen eliminating security guards

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government has been testing surveillance technology for site security that could completely replace human security guards.

"With a single camera, or just a few cameras and video intelligence technology, you can efficiently protect hundreds of sites without a single guard in the field," said Gadi Talmon, a former Israeli intelligence officer who founded Aspectus Video Intelligence.

The Energy Department has overseen trials of a digital video surveillance software system in pilot programs throughout the United States, Middle East Newsline reported.

Executives said the system, developed by Aspectus, an Israeli company based in the Tel Aviv suburb of Petah Tikvah with a subsidiary in New York, was meant to integrate thousands of cameras and sensors at such facilities as airports, railways and power stations.

The software could monitors video and alerts a supervisor to suspicious activities, they said. The video could be sent directly to the supervisor's cell phone, PDA, or laptop.

Executives said Aspectus, whose clients include Israel Railways and the Israel Prison Service, has been developing systems that could recognize license plates from video surveillance. The systems were also designed for facial recognition and fire detection.

"Penetration of video intelligence technology is today only about 2-3 percent," Talmon said. "From what we hear from experts and customers, that penetration will grow to 25 percent, or even higher in some market segments. Down the road we foresee a day when all the cameras in the world will be intelligent."

World Tribune