The Israeli Video Analytics Conference

The Israeli Video Analytics Conference

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Conference guests
Conference guests

We know how to install thousands of advanced cameras that cover open and closed, safe and secured areas. We know how to store massive amounts of video footage. The question is how can we use all that information in order to produce useful information? What exactly do you do with all the footage you recorded?

This was the focus of the second Video Analytics Conference, which took place today at the IAF Center in Herzlia, Israel, organized by the iHLS news website, event chairman Mr. Ofer Moldovan.

“What exactly is video analytics?” asked Arie Fishbein, former IDF Artillery Corps chief and head of the Iron Dome project in Elta. According to him birds and animals have been using video analysis for millions of years. The hawk can distinguish a tiny rodent at great heights, but humans have trouble making sense of recorded video footage. The most significant element are the sensors, and integrating sensors into security systems provides us with a powerful analytical tool, helping us detect significant events in the ocean of data we recorded.

מר עופר מולדובן, יו"ר הכנס
מר עופר מולדובן, יו”ר הכנס

Avi Yariv, one of the owners and directors of iHLS, gave the keynote address. According to Mr. Yariv tens of thousands of security cameras are installed all over the world, but their installation alone doesn’t actually help us in any way. “Cameras can’t stop crime or terror.” The challenge is the development of technologies that can use the raw data and provide users with useful information, helping us stop criminals and terrorists.

NICE’s Doron Girmonsky continued along the same lines. Girmonsky told us that the clients of today require a wide-scale situational awareness that must be created from the mass of video footage – only understanding the big picture allows users to respond immediately. The ability to simultaneously process information coming from thousands of cameras enables early detection, detection of suspicious objects, tracing persons going out of the covered area, searching for lost children in a crowd, counting the number of people present at an incident location. Clients need the ability to integrate information and fully understand the situation.

IBM’s Dror Porat focused on visual recognition and presented systems based on that capability: Identifying patterns of crowd formation, tracking moving persons – including those who attempt to change their appearance while moving. This is an automatic system that processes vast amounts of video data, quickly providing useful facts to decision makers.

Arie Fishbein
Arie Fishbein

Gil Sod-Moriah from Rafael presented behavior analysis technologies for crowds. A camera tracks objects while analyzing their behavior. The systems studies normal actions, using them as a baseline in order to detect unusual activities. A system capable of learning.

Arie Fishbein described a few operational uses for video analytics: Security, defending areas, border monitoring, analyzing aerial battles, detecting attacking aircraft, identifying rocket or missile launches, identifying successful hits on ground targets. All these require a combination of cameras and sensors in order to detect one small, significant event in an ocean of information. Fishbein described some cameras that are disguised as animals: A tiny dragonfly-shaped camera, a camera-fly, a serpentine robot and a fish-like underwater robot.

IHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Another innovation: Fencing. This is an electronic fence comprised of two well-hidden poles, with a narrow, invisible beam passing between them. It immediately detects intruders without alerting them, while a camera placed nearby sends information to forces on alert.

Israel Rom
Israel Rom

Israel Rom, former chief of technologies for the Israel Prison Service, talked about facial recognition. Cameras take pictures, smartphones record everything, videos are uploaded to youtube – the problem is how to find the one specific person that I’m after. Some algorithms existing today can identify a person even if she or he are hiding their face.

Esti Peshin, from IAI’s Elta: “Smartphones are espionage devices. Very easy to operate without the user’s knowledge, tapping into text messages and e-mail communications.” Peshin described the connection between cyber and video analytics, stressing the fact that cyberspace is immense – the challenge is making sure that the information you get is reliable. Analysis methods must be efficient and precise if we want to find those needles in a haystack. Peshin added that videos might contain harmful information, and it’s even easy to create streams of data that appear legal but actually aren’t. This danger must be addressed by developing much more powerful and efficient security systems.

Esti Peshin
Esti Peshin

Three companies taking part in the conference presented their solutions:

  • Evron presented a program that can control an unlimited number of video cameras. The system is already in use in Israel hospitals and various local sites, providing video analysis and alerts.
  • Ladico Group presented a camera that includes a processor for real time data analysis and information sharing, in addition to recording events. The Camera is aimed at various perimeter defense applications.
  • Avcom develops HD video analytics solutions for perimeter fences, in addition to thermal cameras with data analysis capabilities.