Computer vision for security applications

With the proliferation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras for security and surveillance monitoring, the use of image processing and computer vision techniques can now be realised using desktop PC processing. Commercial Video Motion Detection (VMD) and Intelligent Scene Monitoring (ISM) systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Image processing is traditionally concerned with preprocessing operations such as Fourier filtering, edge detection and morphological operations. Computer vision extends the image processing paradigm to include understanding of scene content, tracking and object classification. Examples of computer vision applications include Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), people and vehicle tracking, crowd analysis and model based vision. Often image processing and computer vision techniques are developed with highly specific applications in mind and the goal of a more global understanding computer vision system remains outside the bounds of present technology. This paper reviews some of the most recent developments in computer vision and image processing for challenging outdoor perimeter security applications. It also describes the efforts of development teams to integrate some of these advanced ideas into coherent prototype development systems.