Securing a 400,000 square feet manufacturing plant with video analytics.

United Security Alarm, Inc. implemented the video analytics system to perform automated video surveillance.

Pellerin Milnor site

MATE-Intelligent Video, the technology leader in intelligent video surveillance systems and video analytics announces today that it provided its Trigger – a video detection unit as a part of a CCTV system upgrade for Pellerin-Milnor, the world’s renowned laundry machinery manufacturer. The system upgrade was performed by United Security Alarm, Inc. – a leading systems integrator is southeast Louisiana.

 

The Milnor site includes a manufacturing facility, assembly plant and an engineering center encompassing over 400,000 sq ft.  600 employees work at the site each day.  The plant turns about 48 Million pounds of goods a year, shipping over 10,000 spare parts every week and receives over 10,000 pounds of raw steel, stainless and carbon steel that is kept in stock for onsite production. Protection of precious raw materials and safety of employees were the two main reasons for a security upgrade.

 

United Security Alarm, Inc., designed the new security plan including MATE’s video analytics as a part of the new CCTV system monitored directly from a remote central station. “We chose video analytics because it was the most effective solution to provide good outdoor detection” said Jim Waltz – Vice President of Marketing at United Security Alarm, Inc.

 

MATE’s Trigger an embedded video analytics encoder analyzes video, encodes it and sends real-time alarms to a 24/7 central station where an operator can review and replay the alarm for verification. Jim Waltz commented: “Video Analytics proved to be a cut above any standard motion detection appliances and the MATE’s Trigger a cost effective solution”.

 

“Anyone who understands the use of the video analytics technology can see the value and practicality of it.” says John Szczygiel – President of MATE, “We can now say that video analytics is in the mainstream of video and alarm management technologies”.

MATE Intelligent Video Secures the Bird’s Nest during 2008 Olympic Games

MATE Intelligent Video,  the technology leader in intelligent video surveillance systems and video analytics, today announced that its intelligent video systems had been part of a large integrated video surveillance system installed at the Beijing National Stadium.

 
The Beijing National Stadium, also known colloquially as the “Bird’s Nest”, was designed to host the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This $423 million futuristic stadium is the world’s largest steel structure with a seating capacity of 80,000. The Bird’s Nest hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, athletic events, and soccer final of the 2008 Summer Olympics, from August 8-24, 2008. Digital China Information System, LTD., MATE’s partner in China provided local support for this project.

MATE intelligent video solution played a crucial role during the Olympic Games to ensure safety of both spectators and athletes. MATE’s Trigger, an embedded processor for video detection and transmission was chosen to upgrade the CCTV system to an intelligent video detection system, using MATE’s video analytics to monitor 24/7 strategic areas and critical points in and around the stadium.

All Trigger units were managed from a centralized location and the automated surveillance allowed stadium management to lower supervising costs and increase response time to security alerts.

 “MATE’s Intelligent Video Analysis Products were used as a part of the Beijing Olympic Venue Security Command System Project and were reliable and high performance” said the Integrator on the project. “These products enhanced the traditional CCTV systems in the stadium by adding an additional security layer”.

“We are proud to have been taking part in this important project” said Adiv Baruch, Chairman of MATE. “This was a step further in the industry’s acknowledgement that Intelligent Video is a must for any security system“.

 

 

Intelligent Video has a Bright Future

An interesting article written by Gadi Piran, President and CTO at On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) discusses video analytics growth market and areas.

Business intelligence will be the driving force behind the adoption of video analytics in the retail sector, according to a recent statement issued by IMS, the British research firm. As the retail sector becomes increasingly competitive in a tough economic climate, retailers are turning to video analytics to gain valuable insights into customer shopping behavior that can potentially increase sales and improve operational efficiency, says IMS.

The prediction becomes even more significant when you factor in that, according to some sources, the retail industry is the largest spender on video surveillance equipment in the U.S. But retail is only one of several applications seeing growth in video analytics – the U.S. Department of Homeland Security uses it in defense of our borders; the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) uses it in airports and New York’s MTA (Metro Transit Authority) uses it to help secure the City’s public transit systems. Analysts say that these and other similar projects have kept intelligent video sales growing at a rate of about 25 percent per year.

The surge in interest and implementation of network-based video surveillance systems over the past few years has enabled video analytics to become positioned as a key element in a video surveillance system and, in many cases, it has become indispensable for effectively and efficiently analyzing the surveillance data. In short, the situational awareness provided by video analytics adds more power, versatility and reliability to a network-based video surveillance system.

For example, software suite solutions offer advanced analytics for automated detection and policy-driven analysis of events and/or the motion pattern of people, vehicles and objects. In effect, IP control solutions deliver the large scale functionality of traditional matrix switching systems with all the inherent benefits of software driven management and control.

With all of these extraordinary capabilities already embedded in today’s IP control solutions, the future of this subset of network-based video surveillance then belongs to video analytics. Some of the areas in which we can expect to see growth include:

 

 

• Algorithms – Stronger and more reliable analytic algorithms will be developed for improved motion detection. Algorithms for audio analysis (i.e. gunshots, breaking glass, etc.) and behavioral analysis are also in development as well as algorithms for predictive activity.
• Integration – As applications come together under a single platform, control will become more sophisticated and capable. For example, smart buildings will feature fiber backbones to which all devices will be connected and controlled. Building environmental controls will be integrated with video surveillance and access control as well as with external databases (i.e. HR).
• Interoperability – Open architecture and industry standards will become the norm, allowing for increased interoperability with video analytics on edge devices. As well, operational capabilities will expand will permit additional features such as the use of multiple detectors, an unlimited number of rules per camera and multi-sensory input analysis (i.e. odors, audio, etc.).

The strides made to date in video analytic technology are astounding and have ultimately changed the parameters of IP-based video surveillance. As the initiatives outlined above reach maturity, they will deliver an unprecedented ability for organizations to better ensure the safety of individuals and security of property.

 

 

 

How Intelligent Video enhances standard physical fence seurity ?

 

 

v  Customer Needs:

Pellerin–Milnor makes world renowned laundry machinery since 1947. The facilities are protected with standard physical fence and motion sensors detectors. However this type of physical security was not adequate to stop intruders from breaching the perimeter and stealing precious raw materials. This resulted in monetary losses for the company and shipment delays while materials are replaced. Another major factor influencing the decision to upgrade the security system was for the safety of employees who might run into a theft in progress.

v  The Environment

The Milnor site includes a manufacturing facility, assembly plant and an engineering center encompassing over 400,000 sq ft.  600 employees work at the site each day.  The plant turns about 48 Million pounds of goods a year, shipping over 10,000 spare parts every week and receives over 10,000 pounds of raw steel, stainless and carbon steel that is kept in stock on site for production. With such a large perimeter, busy freight area and copious amount of precious raw materials in stock, the standard CCTV system in place needed an upgrade.

 

v  System Deployed

United Security Alarm, Inc., a well established security integrator in Marrero, LA designed a new security plan including MATE’s video analytics as a part of the new CCTV system monitored directly from a remote central station. MATE’s Trigger – an embedded video analytics encoder was deployed.  This allowed the operator to choose between multiple alarm rules such as Video Motion detection and Path detection. The MATE video analytics are designed for robust performance in difficult outdoor conditions.  The Trigger appliance performs video content analysis, encodes the video and sends alarms to a 24/7 central station, where an operator can review and replay any generated alarms for verification.

 

 

v  Customer Benefits

 Adding Video Analytics to their security system helped Pellerin-Milnor to automate video surveillance reducing the need for constant and costly patrols along the fence line. The triggered alarms increase effectiveness and vigilance of operators working at the central station. “We chose video analytics because it was the most effective solution to provide good outdoor detection” said Jim Waltz – Vice President of Marketing for United Security Alarm, Inc. “Video Analytics proved to be a cut above any standard motion detection appliances and the MATE’s Trigger a cost effective solution”.

 

What’s the definition of Video Analytics ?

Recorded conversation between Steve Hunt from Security Dreamer and John Szczygiel – President of MATE Intelligent Video  discussing what video analytics are at their core.

Listen to the recorded Podcast

Video Analytics Use in Transportation Management

We often hear about Intelligent Video solutions protecting large perimeters for intrusion detection; however new useful applications are seen being deployed as video analytics get more accurate, generating fewer false alarms.

 

A nothern security integrator designed a new type of application using video analytics to monitor traffic and detect congestion on a high access road.  4 acres of property, put under construction for new facilities were located near a five way intersection with ramps that become congested during rush hours. Anticipating that the construction could disrupt traffic, project officials sought a way to monitor the impact of construction vehicles on the intersection and be alerted whenever a traffic jam was detected.

The solution was confronted to a few challenges:

• The intersection and monitoring location are thousands of feet apart. 
• There was no infrastructure to send video for analysis via conventional wired networks. 
• The analytics system needed to operate at a great distance in challenging weather conditions and provide accurate alerts to traffic congestion.  
• The system needed to integrate with the customer’s video management system and also meet stringent IT Network requirements.

To respond to these challenges the integrator selected a PC based video detection unit from MATE. The automated video analytics surveillance system integrated with the video source and the customer’s video management platform.   Several cameras and wireless encoder transmit video to the Control Center located half a mile from the site. From there, the Video is delivered to the Behavior Watch where it is analyzed.  An email with an image of the stoppage is automatically emailed to the officials when an alarm is generated showing the vehicle that triggered the alarm helping to determine whether it was a commercial or personal vehicle.  The alarm is displayed on the American Dynamics® VideoEdge® monitoring station and also recorded by the NVR.

By automating video surveillance with video analytics, it captured important data needed for the traffic analysis, cutting costs on operating expenses by reusing existing equipment and improving the site’s operations by adjusting the schedule of delivery times.

Correctional Facilities

 

Security in Prisons

U.S. detention centers or correctional facilities are categorized into different levels of security:  

    

minimum security, where confined individuals are considered to pose little physical risk to the public are restrained in facilities with generally a single fence that is watched, but not patrolled by armed guards. Facilities in very remote and rural areas, may not have fences at all. It is from these types of facilities where successful escapes reach the highest number.

 

medium security facilities usually have less supervision over the internal movements of prisoners. The perimeter is generally double fenced and regularly patrolled.

maximum security, where all prisoners have individual cells controlled from a secure remote control station. The perimeter is secured with double fences watchtowers, patrolling armed guards and sometimes a third lethal-current electric fence in the middle.

Every year thousands of successful escapes and escape attempts are registered. Patrolling guards and perimeter fences or in some places lack of them are insufficient to keep the prison’s perimeter secure. This creates a major problem for the Officials but also a huge risk to the neighboring residents or other nearby commercial facilities.

 

Outside assistance by family, friends or others is also a real problem for prison’s commissioners who have to deal with objects, weapons, drugs, smuggled through the fence inside their facilities. This further cause disruption inside the prison with theft, fights or assaults that the guards have to contain. In this scenario, physical fences or electric current fence have no power in stopping these types of activities.

 

How Analytics can help enhance security ?

 

Smuggler detection at the perimeter: Video analytics greatly enhance detection of people or vehicles approaching the perimeter to throw objects over the fence for prisoners to pick up later. Smugglers may hide for hours monitoring guard patrols before approaching the fence line.  Behavior Watch’s video motion detection rule instantly alerts on individuals violating the detection zone near the fence, providing a real-time alert of the incident. Video motion detection zones can be active 24/7 or work on a programmed schedule.

 

Alert on passed objects: Weapons, drugs and other objects are passed to and from the prison grounds. Behavior Watch’s path detection rule allows setting two virtual fence zones on either side of the physical fence. The system will alert on objects passing from one zone to another. A combination of video motion detection and path detection rules raises the probability of detection even for the smallest objects thrown through.

 

Escape attempts prevention: Path detection or Presence alert is used to detect individuals trying to pass through the physical fence or to penetrate the “dead zone” (area between two fence lines). An instant alarm clip with camera number is generated to notify guards and help them in their response.

 

Virtual escort: In many prisons guards have to escort inmates in person from one area to another. This practice limits the guards force resources and disrupt them in performing their security duties. Video analytics provide a solution by creating an alert if a person strays from a designated path or fails to arrive at the destination within a set time frame.