This is the first issue of a quarterly column I will be authoring for Security Technology Executive dealing with new technologies, technology trends and other issues as they relate to physical security technology. For my first column, I’d like to address two areas in perimeter surveillance technology, one new and one seemingly mature — video analytics and fiber optic sensing.

There is arguably no technology in the security industry that has attracted more hype, more companies and more promise in the recent past than video analytics. While some may point to spot successes, overall revenues have not been commensurate with the promise. I believe that, much like the ballyhooed concept of convergence, its day will eventually come. One reason for the underwhelming market acceptance is the frequent failure to conjure effective algorithms to deal with the entire needs of the application. These needs usually go beyond the obvious. Also, while some analytic algorithms may in fact address one or two applications very well, a limited overall scope has been a barrier to leveraging that into a viable, profitable business.

When it comes specifically to outdoor perimeter sensing, there has been a general failure to assemble a group of interrelated video-based algorithms to deal with the multi-faceted challenge posed by the outdoor environment. Outdoor video detection must overcome a variety of issues, mostly caused by Mother Nature — such as wind, rain, vibration, background motion and scene clutter. A shaking camera creates constant motion in the video scene, greatly complicating detection, analysis and video compression, which relies partly on processing the changes in that scene. Similarly, wave motion, blowing leaves and trees swaying in the wind create a background of constant motion, complicating the job of the video signal processors and the compression engine. Fortunately, systems are now coming to market that have brought the impressive processing power of today’s digital signal processors (DSPs) to bear on these technical issues. This applied DSP technology, combined with effective detection components and processing, geo-registration, improved video compression, bandwidth management and auto tracking forms the basis for some very exciting and effective products.