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IBM Touts Smart Surveillance System

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the big-blue-watching-you dept.

mikesd81 writes "Reuters reports that IBM hopes to capitalize on the enormous growth in video surveillance. They'll begin selling technology from their research labs that performs real-time analysis on footage captured by security cameras in stores and sensitive locales. IBM contends that it is the first to add advanced search functions, which make use of computers' improving ability to recognize video content. For example, the IBM system would let a user search for all instances of a green car passing by a store on a certain day. It can also incorporate data gathered from audio or chemical sensors. And IBM said S3 includes important privacy enhancements, such as the ability to automatically obscure faces of customers or passers-by. IBM said that S3's target market includes retail outlets, banks, airports, freight terminals and mass transit systems. It is also being sold to public security agencies and other government departments." C|Net reports that the software is so impressive, it may be monitoring border crossings before too long.

21 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. IBM & DHS by eldavojohn · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I think we're going to see a lot more initiatives between International Business Machines & the Department of Homeland Security. One thing I submitted a while ago but wasn't accepted was IBM & Heineken's Beer Living Lab which is essentially a proof of concept demonstration of automating and simplifying the process of international beer shipments from 31 paper documents across many countries to a single SOA solution in conjunction with satellite and cellular technology. From what I understand, the shipments are tracked via a Tamper Resistant Embedded Controller (TREC). Net effect is boosted security for countries & a reduction in tracking costs. From the article,
    This pilot project is part of the Information Technology for Analysis and Intelligent Design for E-government (ITAIDE) research project funded by the European Commission, in an effort to help reduce security concerns and tax fraud. Implementing the European objectives of Single-Window Access Points (SWA) and Authorized Economic Operators (AEO), this project is expected to lead to significant reductions in the administrative burden and hence a reduction in costs.
    I'm not surprised they're working on video analysis software (with the hardware resources they can produce to automate it) but I am surprised that it would be considered to be 'impressive' as a lot of the stuff I've seen is heuristics, pattern recognition & mosaicking ... which I can't really call 'impressive.'
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    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:IBM & DHS by legoburner · · Score: 1

      I'll try to resist the IBM nazi link. Ah crap I failed.

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      Warhammer forums
    2. Re:IBM & DHS by mabhatter654 · · Score: 3, Informative

      exactly what I was thinking, you'd think IBM would know better than to get involved in "domestic surveillance" after the place IBM Germany went in the 1940's... And that was WITHOUT computers!!!

  2. Someone has to say it. by neuro.slug · · Score: 4, Funny

    Breasts. Can that be your keyword for your search? If so, I'm totally for this advanced technology.

    1. Re:Someone has to say it. by blackcoot · · Score: 1

      i know this was intended to be funny, but naked people are actually a lot easier to work with from a computer vision point of view than clothed people. if you're curious, check out ioffe and forsyth's work at berkeley.

    2. Re:Someone has to say it. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 1

      Your search, "Breasts," did not return any results.

      Did you mean "beasts?"

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  3. Oh can't help this one... by boisepunk · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one welcome out new Bir Grother Overlor... (Connection reset by peer)

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    main(0)
  4. Finally by ProfessionalCookie · · Score: 1

    A surveillance system that respects the privacy of those it's observing.

  5. Could it be THIS system?? by pair-a-noyd · · Score: 1

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eob532iEpqk

    1. Re:Could it be THIS system?? by nihaopaul · · Score: 1

      lets hope not, but as some of the comments for that video suggest, it might be time to boycott, btw they missed all the business in the UK from what i hear 1 cam for 7 people. i wonder if they will get the chinese business.

  6. Re:Boobs? by neuro.slug · · Score: 1

    Here, let me add semantic tagging.

    Breasts. Can that be your keyword for your search? If so, I'm totally for this advanced technology.

    I hope that helps. And the real humor is that I just got modded insightful!

  7. Re:Boobs? by neuro.slug · · Score: 1

    The preview buttton is your friend...

    <sillyRemark plays_into_stereotype="true" meme="yes">Breasts. Can that be your keyword for your search? If so, I'm totally for this advanced technology.</sillyRemark>

  8. It's the anti-flatulence security system... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Clearly, the fact that it can be tied to chemical and audio sensors is so that they can spot who farted.

    If every time "Joe" is in the frame when the audio and "chemical" sensors detect the presence of a farter then Joe will be moved to the secondary cube farm, further away from HR.

  9. 3VR ? by adampr · · Score: 1

    A little misleading about being the "first". Take a look at http://www.3vr.com/

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    - No one ever got fired for choosing Linux
  10. Re:Boobs? by catalina · · Score: 1

    But is the tool clever enough to discriminate between boobs and boobs?

  11. Re:Just in time for the "new" Pan-American Union by megaditto · · Score: 1

    And the truckers are entitled to their jobs precisely how? Because they voted Republican?

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  12. I love these smart [product name] by kbox · · Score: 1

    Now excuse me while i have some smart corflakes and take a smart shower, Im late for the smart beer i should be drinking down the smart pub.

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    God Be Gone
  13. i wonder how this relates to their vace contract by blackcoot · · Score: 1

    which ibm just won as a tier 2 (systems integration) effort. there they're running a bunch of vision algorithms to index video to support intelligence analysts trying to sort through the insane amount of video intelligence that's gathered on a daily basis.

  14. Can it report... by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    On how many times i give the cameras the bird?

    Phfft. If im not doing anything wrong, its none of anyones business where i go, or what i do.

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    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  15. Apple's 1984 Commercial by Brainix · · Score: 1

    Suddenly, Apple's 1984 commercial seems even more appropriate.

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  16. Remember... by GWBasic · · Score: 1

    Remember, IBM leased and maintained punchcard systems to that were used to run the holocaust. (Granted, I'm typing this post on an IBM-branded Thinkpad with an IBM-branded keyboard.)

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