SecTech Roadshow again takes the industry’s leading manufacturers and distributors around Australia in May and there will be plenty for installers, consultants and end users to check out again this year.
SECTECH Roadies in 2018 include CSD, Pelco, Honeywell, Video Alarm Technologies, Bosch, Dahua, ISCS, Video Security Products, Consolidated Security Merchants, C. R. Kennedy, OSA, Seadan, BGW Technologies, Q Security Systems, Mobotix, Vivotek, LSC, Hikvision and ICT. It’s a great cross-section of leading brands with plenty of good stuff on show (pre-register here!).
Something that was clear at ISC West is the profound penetration of digital into electronic security solutions – what underscores this most heavily in my opinion, is that the Netgear FlexPower Camera and FlexPower Base Station were awarded the best product in the monitoring category – in this case the monitoring is done by the property owner via an app. The notion of cameras as intelligent sensors is as old as E-Pic but when they take out coveted awards, it’s another thing altogether. How good is the camera really? Well, it’s 720p and has a 130-degree angle of view, so it’s going to be soft. There’s an IR range of 7.5 metres to help at night. The camera is battery powered via a USB port and transmits its video stream across 2.4GHz wireless.
AMC product range from LSC
Obviously, a product like this can’t be taken to represent the evolution of IP in the electronic security industry – the real heavyweights at ISC West depend on higher quality image streams – analytics solutions that are designed to turn the industry’s entire installed base of surveillance cameras into proactive crime fighting machines. This is tougher than it sounds, which is why analytics have been the latest breakthrough for so many years. The latest developments certainly seem promising – accuracy rates have climbed into the mid-90 percentile based on ever smaller datasets – the ability of cameras to learn has been increased and their time to learn has been decreased.
These smarts are also beginning to permeate into simpler systems that offer users operational benefits. But perhaps the biggest deal about analytics now is that almost every manufacturer is doing something with them – it’s the all-aboard status that gives analytics so much momentum. Of course, analytics and the data they generate must be carefully managed – for the general public, the idea security systems are spying on them is likely to generate the sort of negative feedback loop that has denied biometric authentication devices success for decades. The way around these fears is to ensure the technology is placed in safe hands and protected by appropriate privacy protocols.
Face recognition is an appealing application, as is license plate recognition in many applications. But the great strength of analytics is the ability to make searchers faster and more discerning for investigators. Being able to pare searches down to specifics like a brown-haired man wearing sunglasses and a hat and a red shirt working from left to right at a certain time, to search for a child with black hair wearing a yellow dress, site-wide, is better still.
Have analytics finally arrived in full force? It’s difficult to say for certain but we’ll get a taste of the possibilities at SecTech Roadshow. One such product is iMQ by Imagus, which will be displayed by BGWT at SecTech. iMQ is an advanced real-time software that reliably detects and recognises human faces using CCTV cameras, webcams and smartphones. iMQ captures faces non-cooperatively from a distance and/or in motion, and can be deployed as an independent application, or seamlessly integrated into existing biometric solutions and video management systems.
Features including video-based face recognition from low quality surveillance and mobile video, face recognition from still images against low quality image data sets, network-centric scalable data capture of images from one to millions, smartphone and tablet image capture/analysis, seamless integration of smart devices to internet connected remote data sets for matching and retrospective search functionality. The algorithm is trained on all faces captured via face recognition-enabled cameras. This allows for searching of historical faces enrolled after the event.
There’s face recognition from high definition digital cameras up to 16MP (equivalent to 50 analogue cameras), scalable vision processing architecture based on parallel banks of graphic processors on video graphics cards to accelerate search speed, image collection speed, and the number of cameras supported by each processor. This off-core processing can be done post processing as a batch or in the cloud, face recognition of crowds with simultaneous multiple person acquisition and analysis, and multiple camera tracking based on automatic enrolment and then identification/tracking through the network of cameras.
CSD will show its integration of Inner Range Integriti, Milestone Access Control Manager and Ipsotek Facial Recognition. Ipsotek video analytics delivers facial recognition, LPR, crowd management and other video analytics. With this integration, an Ipsotek facial recognition, LPR or analytic event can trigger Integriti and automatically pop up a vector map and then zoom a camera into the area where the event has been occurred, pop up live video, send push notifications to staff, create alerts, report to, security control rooms, unlock doors and seamlessly record all these actions to the event log. This is the sort of real world capability that’s going to be appealing to serious integrators and security managers.
Another neat application of analytics is delivered by Davantis from Video Alarm Technologies. Davantis provides an advanced perimeter protection solution for intrusion, loitering, tampering object removal and stopped vehicle detection that’s based on coverage from an existing CCTV solution. Events are sent to a monitoring station or they can be transmitted to a security manager or security officer’s mobile device for immediate response.
Another company that’s getting into analytics is Dahua Technology which showed a pair of cameras at ISC West incorporating AI. The IPC-HF8242F-FR AI Network 2MP Box camera is a standalone front-end intelligent solution that performs complex facial recognition without additional licenses or servers. By interpreting video data at the source, the camera dissects and learns data for easier processing and higher efficiency. The camera includes human facial feature extraction, real-time facial snapshots, and a comparison database of up to 10,000 face images and 5 libraries that are stored on-board. The facial recognition feature enables a pro-active way to identify persons of interest before an incident occurs.
As well as offenders, Dahua says the camera will alert operators to the faces of ‘disgruntled persons’ – the IPC-HF8242F-FR offers is accurate, real time facial analysis that includes 6 types of facial features, including age, gender, expression, glasses, mouth mask, and moustache and 5 types of expressions including jolly, normal, surprised, sad, and rage.
Meanwhile, the IVSS7016 all-in-one 16-channel AI NVR supports 4K ultra HD resolution for recording, live viewing and playback and combines video management functions with traditional video storage, video decoding & deep learning in one device. This AI NVR can store up to 100,000 faces in the image database and a maximum of 10 million face metadata or face images.
Then there’s MIC IP fusion 9000i PTZ camera from Bosch, an advanced PTZ surveillance platform that incorporates a high performance thermal imaging core and a 1080p starlight camera integrated in the same ruggedized housing. This allows the camera to deliver simultaneous thermal and visible video streams, maximizing the ability to detect and react to long-range threats – up to 4517m.
Hikvision is also bringing a new facial recognition solution to SecTech. The system comprises Deep-Learning-based end-to-end facial recognition solution, with functions designed to meet varied scenario requirements and high accuracy of recognition.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the hype of analytics, it’s a mistake to ignore the power of the latest integration – it’s areas where traditional solutions are using analytics to offer superior results that warrant most attention. An example of this is Inner Range Integriti’s integration to Honeywell Fire Systems.
In the event of fire, Integriti automatically pops up a vector map and zooms a camera into the area where the alarm has been activated, pops up live video, sends push notifications to staff, creates alerts, reports the event to fire & security control rooms, unlocks doors and seamlessly records all these actions to the event log. What’s beautiful about this integration is that it augments procedures automatically and in virtual real time, taking important but mechanical decisions out of the hands of a stressed security team.
Meanwhile, ISCS is showing HID Location Services, which provides accurate, real-time workplace location awareness and analytics. The system combines the power of Bluetooth low-energy, Wi-Fi, and cloud-based technologies to provide a unique, seamless experience inside and outside of a facility. As a result, organizations receive increased visibility into precise locations of their workplace in a defined space and can use predictive analytics to understand space usage and building operational efficiency.
Personal and asset beacons are available as a single credential and are used as location services and access control. The gateways allow for fast, easy implementation throughout the organisation. The cloud service platform integrates into existing building management systems for customizable data streams, dashboards, and reports -delivering alerts and notifications to adhere to security policies and simplifying events, workflows, and analytics.
The solution can provide building owners with dashboards and reports over time, helping organizations comply with health and safety legislation, like maximum room occupancy regulations. This facilitates collaboration, helping employees locate their co-workers, and improves safety in emergencies. It’s also possible to improve the employee experience by eliminating the chance of visitors and employees becoming lost. By guiding people through a physical space and enhancing their understanding of that space, organizations can offer a valuable and satisfying user experience.
Another smart solution is United VMS 8.0 from QSS and FLIR include advanced cyber security with edge device integration, integrated analytic set-up for FC-ID cameras, global administration enhancements, improved video quality of EZ Client and simplified discovery process as well as installation and upgrade improvements. United VMS brings together thermal and optical cameras to assist intrusion detection and response.
Analytics is also a core functionality of the new Pelco by Schneider Electric Exsite Enhanced is available in PTZ or fixed models with a built-in wiper and optional adaptive IR illumination. It has Sarix Surevision 3.0 technology providing excellent picture quality in the challenging lighting conditions common to hazardous areas with 130db wide dynamic range and low-light imaging performance using a Full HD 1080p camera producing up to 60 images per second with 30x zoom.
Alongside this functionality is a full suite of built-in analytics including autoTracker, adaptive motion detection, abandoned object, and more. The new direct drive motor mechanism ensures PTZ accuracy, speed and reliability. Exsite is the fastest EX-Proof pan/tilt system available and is virtually indestructible with its rugged 316L billet electro polished stainless-steel construction.
Sony SNC-VB642D 1080p Dual light bullet camera is another analytic’s-empowered operational solution, which provides full-colour reproduction 24/7 through a combination of automated analytics and white-light technology. The camera can perform in extremely challenging environments and captures crisp, low-noise Full HD images, even in low-light conditions.
The sensitive 1/2.8-inch type Exmor R CMOS image sensor is teamed with XDNR processing, improving low-light performance and achieving the minimum illumination of 0.006 lux (30 IRE) in colour mode. In-built motion detection can trigger a range of actions, from storage and transfer of images to sounding of external alarms. False alarms caused by noise, weather and environment are minimised by a smart processing algorithm.
Q Alumia Pro NVRs from QSS also feature smart video analytics, solid security features, corridor mode and long-range POE, the MOBOTIX M16 thermal radiometry camera, which features one thermal and one standard image sensor, enabling a thermal overlay, localising 20 temperature-defined hot spots in the image to highlight potential hazards, automatically triggering alarm events and actions.
Evolution of Technology
Something that is easy to forget is that technology continues to evolve rapidly in all areas of the electronic security market. Technology becomes more powerful, easier to use, more secure, more open to integration, more compact, more reliable and more affordable.
A case in point is ICT’s ProtegeGX, which you can see on the ISCS stand, combines simplicity and enterprise level capabilities that unify access control and intrusion detection. ICT is constantly polishing functionality in order to make its solutions easier to learn and easier for installers and end users to operate. The Protege mobile app extends this capability to the mobile devices of authorised users who can, with the swipe of a finger, connect to any of linked sites and check status, arm or disarm, control lights, locks, signage, heating and cameras.
The app provides instant awareness of system status with a simple tap. Subscribe to push notifications to receive alerts of system or sensor activity. Meanwhile, ICT’s tSec readers feature Bluetooth and NFC capability, enabling smartphones to be used as access credentials for maximum convenience.
LSC has also expanded the capability of its AMC range with a new wireless panel, XR900, which utilises a 916Mhz bidirectional system and is equipped with 64 wireless zones. It is compatible with all existing AMC wireless and wired products making it a versatile and flexible solution for any alarm installer.
Like all AMC products, the XR900 can be managed using the AMC Manager App, available for both iOS and Android devices. The 916MHz bidirectional comms give a wireless range of 1000m and there’s PSTN, siren, batteries included, reporting options of PSTN-IP-GPRS-3G, voice support, 4-wire RS485 bus, and multi-format CMS.
AMC’s new bidirectional K-LCD 900 wireless keypad can be powered by batteries (2 batteries AAA – alkaline 1.5V), or via hardwire and features an LCD display 32 characters over 2 lines, and a programmable NFC/RFID tag reader with which it is possible to arm/disarm and enable/disable programmed outputs. Being bidirectional, the keypad allows the user to have real feedback of the status of the system, including not ready zones, troubles, etc.
Another security system that highlights the evolution of the industry is the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 from BGWT has 7-inch HD, edge-to-edge, capacitive glass screen with 1280 x 800-pixel resolution but there’s also multi-gesture capability, with the panel able to be navigated with familiar swipes and gestures. Content is dynamic, so the display only shows pages for devices that have been added to the system, reducing clutter and making it intuitive and easy to use.
Leveraging the latest technology, the IQ Panel 2 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, Google Android 5.1 OS and up to 6 wireless radio technologies – cellular, dual band WiFi 802.11 AC, DSC RF 433MHz, Z-Wave Plus, image sensor and Bluetooth LE 4.0 – supporting wireless connectivity, security and home automation control. It boasts an all tool-less design with flexible mounting options, either on a wall or with the included table stand, a 5MP onboard camera, dual-path connectivity, a photo frame screensaver, Bluetooth disarming, a built-in panel glass break detector, built-in motion detection, a built-in router and OTA software updates.
NX Witness from ISCS is another product that continues to evolve – more than ever, the user can define it’s layout and operation. It features a flexible GRID interface, instant event notifications, and an embedded browser create a user experience unlike any other VMS. Nx Witness Desktop combines performance, ease-of-use, and a ‘let the user decide how best to use the software’ approach into a single cross-platform lightweight app.
Meanwhile, Nx Cloud provides simple remote connectivity, streaming, and management of an unlimited number of Nx Witness Systems. With an open Restful API, a suite of SDK’s and integrator-friendly tools, Nx Witness users can quickly integrate any 3rd party systems such as access control or facial recognition.
At SecTech, CSM will be showing its latest products, including the latest VMS offering and products from IndigoVision. CSM will also show its latest integrated access control offering from DDS which is now interfaced with Aperio, as well as HID, AAP and Honeywell, all with a big range of complimentary peripheral products. Home automation is growing momentum in the Australian market and CSM have some great products solutions in this space including the Vesta home gateway which provides a comprehensive security solution including Zigbee wireless detectors, cameras and home automation devices. CSM will also have the Honeywell Tuxedo home automation solution on display. CSM TVT range of 8MP cameras and 4K NVR’s and its NVMS 1000 solution are also well worth a look at SecTech.
Pelco’s Esprit is now enhanced – updates to Esprit Enhanced II include up to 60ips frame rate, patterns and scans now included, improved cybersecurity authentication, smart compression technology, local on-board storage, greater tilt range + faster pan/tilt speeds, optional adaptive infrared illumination, HPOE, built in SFP ports, 3-year warranty and more. Another camera not to be missed is the Watec Wat-933 from CRK. Despite its tiny size, this camera features the latest generation 2MP 1/2.-inch back side illuminated CMOS imaging sensor. This delivers full colours images down to just 0.007 lux and 0.0001 lux in monochrome.
Supporting networked solutions is the Korenix JetNet 5428G-20SFP From OSA, a 19-inch Gigabit Layer 2+ industrial switch, equipped with 8x 100Base-TX ports, 16x 100Base SFP, and 4x 100/1000 RJ-45/SFP combo ports. The JetNet 5428G-20SFP is specially designed for industrial control rooms where high fibre-port density and performance is required. In addition to advanced cyber security and networking redundancy features, the JetNet 5428G-20SFP model provides redundant power supplies to ensure high availability for mission critical industrial applications.
Seadan Security & Electronics together with Sprint Intercom will be showcasing a new 3D people counting camera, Dahua’s 8MP panoramic IP dome camera and the company’s ePoE cameras and recorders which boast an impressive 800m transmission capability. There’s a new Dahua SIP intercom, and the Kantech access control solution compliments the Dahua range and works in unison with exacqVision video management software and the Aperio locking solution.
Honeywell will be showing off the equIP camera series in fisheye, PTZ and 4K bullet, box, rugged dome, as well as ExitView cameras. The easy-to-install equIP cameras come in 2MP (1080p), 4MP, 6MP and 12MP (4K) Ultra HD resolutions. The rnage is easy to use and designed to Honeywell standards with a range of analytics and features to simplify usage and reduce installation time. These IP cameras integrate with Honeywell security systems and 3rd party solutions through open (ONVIF) or Honeywell API standard and feature cyber security, GUI fisheye de-warping, H.265 and more.
SensaTek will show Vivotek’s new MS9390-HV multi-sensor dome camera with H.265 compression and Smart Stream III technology, is also equipped with SNV (Supreme Night Visibility), WDR Pro technology, 180-degree IR illuminators up to 20m and 30fps at full resolution. The dual-sensor design and video alignment feature give a 180-degree panoramic view and a higher vertical field of view. Vivotek’s FD9365-HTV will also be on display and feature Trend Micro’s anti-intrusion software embedded, empowering them to automatically detect and prevent credential-based attack as well as block suspicious events.
Don’t miss these new products and much, much more at SecTech Roadshow in Melbourne on May 8, Brisbane May 10, Sydney May 15, Adelaide May 27 and Perth on May 23! Pre-register here for your city and save time at the door!