By Calvin Biesecker
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will examine a host of technologies and products related to intelligent video analytics for aviation security in anticipation of an operational need for intelligent video-based surveillance systems, the agency said over the weekend.
“It is envisioned that such a video system, hereafter referred to as ICCTV (Intelligent Closed Circuit Television Systems), could be part of an integrated approach to enhancing the security of the national transportation system in the United States by means of remote surveillance,” TSA says in a Request for Information (RFI) released on Feb. 24. Initially, TSA is focused on finding solutions for aviation security but is interested in eventually having the technology applied to other transportation modes.
The RFI is “unique in the breadth” of what TSA wants to look at, Dvir Doron, vice president of marketing with ioimage, an Israel-based supplier of intelligent video appliances, told Defense Daily. He also said the fact that TSA is showing a great deal of interest in the technology “will rock the video analytics world” because it is a validation of the technology from an important homeland security agency.
CCTV systems have been in use for security in the transportation sector since the 1970s, allowing security personnel in central locations to monitor activity in select areas remotely. But as the technology is relied on increasingly, it also requires more security personnel to monitor the imagery. The potential of intelligent video analytics is that sophisticated software algorithms can process the imagery and automatically feed alerts to security personnel when there is some sort of anomaly or security breach.
In its RFI, TSA appears to be taking a big bite at what solutions may be available. For example, the agency would like responses on technology that can do macro-behavior detecting, such as large crowd level anomalies, walking in the wrong direction, loitering and even object classification. TSA would also like to know if the technology exists to automatically track individuals across multiple cameras.
At the micro-level of behavior detection, TSA is seeking responses related to automated micro-facial expression recognition that might indicate stress, nervous-related actions such as sweating, or other anomalies.
The agency is also interested in suspicious item detection such as abandoned objects or known threat objects. Additionally, TSA wants to see if the technology is available to bring the various inputs from intelligent video systems together to create a common operating picture.
While TSA is hoping it can use the technology to add another layer of security in the transportation environment, it is also said it wants to see if it can “identify and attempt to resolve the real world problems associated with intelligent video-based systems” and “create an additional path going forward to provide for the installation of intelligent video-based systems within our transportation systems.”
Intelligent-video based products are being used by some agencies and airports within the transportation sector today although the use of the technology is still limited.