Five technologies to address the most urgent security challenges in urban environments

Security is currently one of the main concerns worldwide. In this context, Paulo Santos, Enterprise Solutions Manager at Axis Communications, explains the technological advances that are currently being applied in urban surveillance, consolidating a modernization process that, if well executed, will ensure a reduction in homicide rates, robberies, thefts, and other crimes.

The five security technologies that are currently being gradually applied in urban surveillance to ensure protection are the following:

Facial recognition

In the near future, when a criminal wanted by the police boards a bus, His face may be captured by security cameras and the authorities will be notified immediately. Train and subway stations may conduct, at certain points of circulation, a permanent patrol in search of sex offenders or suspects of engaging in illegal trade based on the photos recorded in the database.

With the same technology, stadiums can automatically block the entry of fans involved in violent incidents. By combining these efforts at different points in the city, the police will have a large dataset to act effectively and efficiently.

Panic button

Some cities already have a button installed on posts or digital kiosks to report emergencies to the police. But the so-called 'panic button' can offer more possibilities, as it allows preventing acts of vandalism and other incidents with an operator at the control center viewing the area in real time through a video camera, with a Google map on the screen showing the exact location of the event.

This intercom also has the potential to bring citizens closer to public authorities and function as a true access router to various services, indicating to the citizen where the nearest ATM is or providing tourist information, como el camino a pie hasta un museo.

Detección de disparo

Existe ya una tecnología que puede detectar el sonido de un disparo en plena avenida transitada, un principio de tumulto en una terminal de autobuses o cuando la vitrina de una tienda o agencia bancaria se rompe.

Empresas como SoundIntelligence utilizan cámaras de Axis con micrófonos diminutos para capturar el estándar del sonido ambiente en locales abiertos y cerrados. Después de analizar cuál es el ruido normal, la tecnología detecta alteraciones sonoras, tanto en el caso de una discusión en un local público (en el que las voces se van elevando poco a poco) como en el caso de rotura de vidrios y disparos (que generan una alteración brusca en el patrón). Como la analítica es inteligente, no confunde, For example, disparos con fuegos artificiales, which reduces false alarms.

Alertas sonoras

No todas las ciudades se enfrentan a los mismos problemas. Algunas tienen áreas con riesgo estacional de deslizamiento de tierra; otras, cerca de represas, pueden ser alterarse por un accidente, o comunidades ribereñas que viven atentas a la altura del agua, entre otros muchos otros ejemplos.

En estos casos, la alerta temprana es fundamental para salvar vidas y reducir las pérdidas financieras. La alerta sonora anticipada puede inhibir y disuadir a los vándalos en actos ilícitos en plazas públicas, monumentos, etc. En unos pocos años, será más común encontrar ciudades equipadas con sistemas de alerta sonora digital y de largo alcance, both for prerecorded and live messages.

Drone monitoring

In the future, The circulation of drones in cities will not be disorderly and will be fully regulated, avoiding invasion of privacy, capture of confidential information, accidental landings, etc.

Already available technologies allow using a security camera to detect the presence of a drone and, what is even more important, assign in the moment the exact point from which it is being controlled.

Paulo Santos

Enterprise Solutions Manager at Axis Communications