Virtual Vision: Simulating Camera Networks in Virtual Reality for Surveillance System Design and Evaluation

Summary form only given. The author reviews his research with Faisal Qureshi towards smart camera networks capable of carrying out advanced surveillance tasks with little or no human supervision. A unique centerpiece of our work is the combination of computer vision, computer graphics, and artificial life simulation technologies to develop such networks and experiment with them. Our prototype simulator has enabled us to readily develop and experiment with smart camera networks comprising static and active simulated video surveillance cameras that provide extensive coverage of a large virtual public space, a train station populated by autonomously self animating virtual pedestrians. The simulated networks of smart cameras perform persistent visual surveillance of individual pedestrians with minimal intervention. Our virtual vision simulator has been a potent tool in our quest for innovative camera control strategies that naturally address camera aggregation and handoff, are robust against camera and communication failures, and require no camera calibration, detailed world model, or central controller.