Megapixel cameras with truly staggering resolutions are now available. One of the market leaders in this area is Avigilon which produces cameras with up to 29 megapixels resolution! Megapixel cameras allow wide areas to be monitored using one camera instead of many; an airport departures hall could be monitored by one 16 megapixel camera instead of 50 (640 x 480) analogue cameras. Apart from the simplicity that this allows (and cost savings), the additional benefit is the situational awareness that this type of arrangement facilitates. An operator in a control room monitoring such an area can zoom in on specific targets in a separate window on a monitor yet retain the overall (situational) picture. Lastly, from a forensic perspective, megapixel images can provide excellent evidence.
Facial recognition technology has been under much pressure to get better! Since 9/11 several governments around the world have been pushing for facial recognition as a means of identifying persons of ‘bad intent’. Some governments have been involved in building up databases of faces – the United States and United Kingdom are just two of many jurisdictions - collecting images of persons as they pass through immigration controls. While immigration and security checkpoints are two areas where this technology can be deployed
in a systematic manner to check all passengers entering restricted areas, other ‘choke points’ at airports could use CCTV with facial recognition to identify targets who may not necessarily be passengers – an important point with the recent increase in landside attacks at airports.
Idle object identification allows unmoved objects such as suitcases that could be regarded as suspicious objects to cause an alarm. Such systems work well and are used extensively but when they are deployed as part of a total solution, their effectiveness is truly leveraged. CCTV footage can be immediately reviewed in order to identify the person who left the case behind and possibly locate that person.
Object tracking can assist in real time or in review mode. It may be possible to review a video recording and track a person and, in some cases, catch up with the subject through real time tracking. This can also be achieved using facial recognition technology.
Direction detection is commonly deployed in situations where people are required to move in a particular direction, through immigration channels for example. Like other transportation hubs, airports often have one-way movement areas that can benefit from this technology.
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...research in Australia at the University of Queensland has centred on facial recognition when the initial image grab is of poor quality...”
PRACTICAL CHALLENGES
Baggage handling areas are a security concern though not necessarily an aviation security one. Airport crime may not pose a direct threat to aviation, but it remains a challenge for the security authorities. Expensive items ‘disappearing’ from passengers’ suitcases is a worldwide phenomenon and here even ‘dumb’ cameras can be a solution as they will allow the authorities to review activities by handlers and identify any pilferage going on. Suitable resolution and careful positioning are required for effectiveness in this area. Passenger screening points also generate non aviation security issues; many are the complaints of smart phones, watches and other expensive items disappearing during the screening process. Where facial recognition is used, the main problem is obtaining a
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February 2013 Aviationsecurityinternational
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