Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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.

4 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.'
    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. 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.

  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)

    --
    main(0)