Integration of AI video surveillance with other security technologies

Artificial Intelligence is a technological revolution that is having an impact on a wide range of fields. Thanks to its rapid progress, AI is set to transform industry, transport and finance. Another sector is benefiting from this new form of intelligence: video surveillance. Find out how these two technologies can complement each other to enhance the security of people and property.

What are the differences between video surveillance and AI video surveillance?

The principle of video surveillance

Video surveillance, or video protection, consists of a surveillance system using video cameras. It consists of a set of equipment for recording, viewing and using the images captured. It has a number of objectives:

• to protect people and/or property
• to secure premises against the risk of theft;
• monitoring industrial production processes.

A video surveillance kit can be deployed in several ways:

• a standard system linking one or more cameras to a control monitor ;
• a recording system that saves the images captured for viewing at any time;
• a digital system enabling images to be viewed remotely via the Internet.

To enhance security and limit the risk of theft, a video surveillance system is generally combined with anti-theft systems. There are many types of in-store anti-theft devices: anti-theft gates, anti-theft labels or even anti-theft badges.

Video surveillance and artificial intelligence

For several years now, conventional video surveillance systems have been able to be coupled with artificial intelligence video surveillance systems. These use algorithms to process video streams in real time, enhancing the effectiveness of the system already in place. Thanks in particular to motion detection via their video surveillance cameras,AI in video surveillance works in the form of bricks:

• a first brick detects an individual ;
• another brick detects so-called suspicious gestures based on the position of body parts, such as a hand pointing towards a shelf and back towards a rucksack ;
• a 3ᵉ brick launches object recognition in order to identify a backpack or handbag, with the aim of differentiating them from a basket or shopping bag.

This technology is capable of :

• identify suspicious gestures ;
• trigger an alert;
• contribute to the decision-making process of the shop manager and/or security guard.

This provides invaluable information to the people in charge of security at a site by analysing not only the images, but also the so-called suspicious gestures. Intelligent video surveillance (IVS) increases tenfold the benefits of a conventional video protection system based on a combination of security gates and surveillance cameras. Where video surveillance equipment alone is generally limited to viewing images, or at best recording them, intelligent video surveillance applied to a system already in place considerably improves the detection of suspicious gestures and the way of responding to them. In other words: artificial intelligence and video surveillance are complementary tools capable of enhancing the security of people and property.

The benefits of AI video surveillance

AI video surveillance considerably boosts the traditional surveillance systems initially deployed. There are many benefits:

Better detection of anomalies

A human eye, even one accustomed to scrutinising surveillance cameras, is not infallible and cannot process thousands of items of data in real time. Intelligent video surveillance can analyse a huge volume of data, sort it and transmit the most relevant information to security personnel. This technology does not replace the teams in place. Better still, it provides them with decision-making support based on clear, factual information. The figures speak for themselves: losses linked to theft can be reduced by around 60% thanks to AI.

Developing team spirit

Strengthening your video surveillance system means training your staff. By explaining the principle of AI and how this technology works, every employee becomes a player in preventing the risk of theft. Where are the cameras? What is everyone's role in the system? How do you react if the system is alerted? Intelligent video surveillance is first and foremost a tool for teams.

Access to security for all

Thanks to AI video surveillance, all points of sale can access a high level of security. Without needing to recruit a dedicated shop security person, a manager who combines intelligent video surveillance with his existing protection system will be well protected. Costs are reduced and uses increased tenfold.

A more respectful approach to individuals

Artificial Intelligence cannot recognise people. Only the gestures of individuals are analysed to enable security personnel to be more vigilant in the event of suspicious gestures. AI video surveillance is therefore not based on a biometric system, because it cannot identify individuals. Artificial intelligence offers fact-based decision-making. As such, it complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Veesion and Artificial Intelligence

At Veesion, we designed the first gesture recognition software based on Artificial Intelligence. Since 2018, we have been detecting so-called suspicious gestures in shops around the world. Our video surveillance software uses the latest advances in Deep Learning to automatically detect robbery gestures in real time at retailers, using existing surveillance cameras. It's very easy to set up, as all you have to do is install our software directly on the feeds from the cameras already in place. There's no need to renew your video protection system, because Veesion works with 90% of cameras, and with both digital and analogue systems.

A complete, simple and practical security solution that already equips 3,000 shops worldwide. Would you like to improve the security of your business? Contact us today to discuss your needs.