While artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, and technology-based security solutions may seem like science fiction, they are rapidly becoming science fact. And through the power of AI, operators can now brainstorm a scenario, develop a set of criteria and appropriate responses, then allow the solution to manage itself.
Safe cities have always depended upon a physical security presence. Today, the availability of low-cost technology-based solutions and low latency, high bandwidth networks have increased the viability of security solutions that are both independent and intelligent. Advances in video surveillance now provide an expanded footprint for security coverage while AI solutions and autonomous security devices are designed to respond to events and provide situational awareness for emergency responders.
Businesses have driven the integration of access control, building management systems, video surveillance, and software to manage the AI decision-making process. Cities are also leveraging this technology to improve the management of their city spaces. More and more, emergency scenarios, frictionless access, crowd and traffic management, and situational awareness drive many of the newest security technologies.
Ahead, we’ll explore where more innovations are taking shape.
Frictionless access control and integrated video verification
Milestone Systems provides open platform video technology that works with the access control solutions above to integrate events and associate security cameras with the access control hardware. XProtect video management software (VMS) is an open platform that takes access control capabilities and supplements the logged events, tagging video and providing an additional layer of verification for the activity.
For example, when a guard is touring a facility, their keycard swipes are logged in the security software. Associated cameras will provide video evidence of their activity while XProtect tags the video with the associated information provided from the access control event. This cross-check of data and video produces logs of guard activity and verifiable evidence that supports the businesses goals.
Occupancy and crowd management
Real-time Occupancy Management is essential in a safe city environment. Having accurate people counts and understanding the flow and fluctuations of people in an area allows for appropriate responses when these areas become congested. Video surveillance and video management systems can accurately count people in real-time. Beyond simple counting of occupants, AI systems compare counts and then trigger a notification if the count does not meet expectations. The alerts can help security rapidly identify problems.
Situational awareness
Any number of occurrences could be the beginning of a security incident. Here are a few issues the security team looks for:
- Unauthorized Access in Restricted Areas
- Packages or Bags Left Behind
- Restricted Doors Left Open
- Suspicious Activity
- Missing or Malfunctioning Equipment
- Wrong-way Traffic
The responsible security operator will respond quickly to divert any potential incidents when these scenarios occur. When paired with video analytics and artificial intelligence, XProtect VMS can monitor live video streams and interact with disparate systems to trigger notifications to appropriate security personnel with immediate access to the video. XProtect improves surveillance capabilities and diversifies the user’s system, enhancing their security response to various scenarios.
Expanded video coverage has the net effect of improving the security footprint. However, a more significant coverage area means more data to analyze. AI systems can process vast amounts of data more quickly and accurately than humans. Additionally, alerts can proactively notify appropriate personnel and bring attention to situations they might otherwise miss.
Security enablement is at the core of the safe city.
Safe cities are also smart cities. Municipalities are working on expanding their network reach to include 5G mobile service, with its high bandwidth and low latency capabilities. In addition, cities are partnering with 5G cellular technology companies to ensure that they preserve bandwidth for emergency scenarios and coverage is adequate throughout the city. These efforts mean that video surveillance is a reality in areas that may have previously been impossible. This reach allows for rapid response and the ability to gain critical intelligence of events before the arrival of security forces.
How will Milestone’s video technology help you?
XProtect®open platform provides a central user interface that makes managing disparate systems easier, allowing for improved understanding of the data and better decision-making processes. XProtect also provides the system to trigger autonomous functions upon a matching set of criteria. When standard processes are automated, first responders can focus their attention on helping people and solving crimes proactively.
Want to talk about safe city opportunities?
Need information or want a consultation about how to build your city video solution with Milestone’s open platform? Get in touch with a Milestone city security expert today. You can also explore more articles, eBooks, and customer stories by visiting their city insight hub.
