CCTV cameras have been a long-standing security measure used in public, personal and commercial settings. Although typically used as a crime prevention tool, its other uses include observing health and safety protocols, police assistance and even fire prevention. It has since evolved from its historical use in WWII to what we know them to be today. But with increasing technological advances and a boom in the use of automation and artificial intelligence, it won’t be long before CCTV cameras get an upgrade.
One of the primary purposes of installing CCTV is for surveillance and deterrence, which aid in crime prevention. Today you can find CCTV with wireless technology, CCTV with cloud-based storage and even CCTV with the ability to detect cars speeding on the motorways. However, technology is continuously evolving, so read on to find out the 3 trends for the future of CCTV technology.
CCTV Trends
1. 4K/Ultra High Definition (UHD) resolution CCTV cameras
More companies are now creating 4K/UHD cameras for better quality footage; this means they are generally 4 times the resolution of traditional 1080p cameras. The main difference between the new 4K CCTV camera’s and the more conventional 1080p is the clearer footage and ability to zoom in on farther objects and still be able to view them clearly on the CCTV.
Although 4K resolution technology is not a new advancement, one of the main constraints that have made it challenging to implement has been down to storage. 4K footage requires a lot of storage capacity, either on a hard drive or cloud storage, making it a costly system. Recently, new technologies have emerged that have helped easily compress footage to a more manageable level. Due to this new advancement, manufacturers can make 4K/UHD CCTV cameras for up to 8 cameras without needing vast amounts of storage.
Another potential benefit of 4K is lowering the total number of cameras needed, as the higher resolution means they would be able to zoom in and cover more space, meaning sites would need to install significantly fewer cameras. In addition, night vision on a 4K CCTV camera has a better resolution making it better in capturing footage in the dark.
2. Artificial Intelligence in CCTV cameras
New advancements in the AI sector have a huge significance for CCTV technology. Machine learning techniques have been used to create intelligent CCTV cameras that run on an automated surveillance system making them autonomous. These AI CCTV cameras are being developed to recognise suspicious behaviour and integrate facial recognition into their detection, allowing them to track and report real-time events without human intervention. One idea behind the concept begins with the AI CCTV learning behaviours, identifying which of these behaviours are regarded as suspicious and then informing a human through prompts on an app.
Another idea behind this technology has implications on time efficiency; it becomes faster to find specific events as machine learning CCTV can identify objects, faces, movements, and even analyse these scenes and activities, eliminating the need for someone to go through hours of footage before finding anything. Through AI surveillance cameras, the theory is that search instructions can be given, for example, “a woman wearing red” and all the relevant footage will be bought up within a matter of minutes, a process that would have usually taken a tremendous amount of time and resources.
3. CCTV Drones
Drones are known for their versatility, compact size and manoeuvrability, making them one of the best technological tools to incorporate with CCTV cameras. They are able to capture footage on a bigger scale and even access spaces that would be otherwise difficult to reach.
Already a tool used by the military, its uses for the security of the general public and the safety of commercial sites is endless. CCTV drones could become part of a private sites security strategy by patrolling the surrounding area in search of criminal activity, trespassers, and even identifying any potential fire hazards that have been missed out. The bird’s eye view footage allows for a better understanding of any risks and helps in the assessment for the prevention associated with the identified risks.
As drones can be programmed to follow movement, they can provide real-time footage which can be used to pass on to first responders, the security team, or the police. Sending a drone to investigate a potentially dangerous situation is usually a much safer option, therefore having the footage that only a drone could provide would be more insightful for crime prevention.