Vanessa Tyne, the Senior Key Account Manager at Axis Communications South Africa, looks at how network cameras have evolved and what this means for the market.
Network video installations have come a long way. Firmly established within the safety and security arena, they are now increasingly used in various applications. Adapting its technologies to meet changing market trends, Axis Communications is now seeing a surge in intelligence moving to the camera.
Our installed base keeps growing, and over the years we have seen many unusual and innovative new applications that use IP cameras, audio and analytics software. Seeing how the combination of intelligent technology and human imagination can push into uncharted business territory is inspiring. It is amazing what creative minds will come up with, and we’re delighted to help them make the world both safer and smarter.
Exciting small and mid-sized applications
The following are some innovative and interesting small and mid-sized installations that proves the versatility of Axis’ products and solutions.
As the first example, thermal cameras with temperature alarms are used to monitor a manufacturing process. If the temperature rises above a certain threshold in an assembly machine, it will trigger a sound clip that is broadcasted via a speaker. A notification will also be sent to an operator who can take the necessary action in order to stop and maintain the machine before any damage is done.
One unusual installation provides safety, not for humans, but for animals at a zoo. Both fixed and pan-tilt-zoom cameras are used to monitor the well-being of the animals. If something unexpected or an incident should happen, the zoo staff can take immediate actions to handle the situation.
From the courtroom to the classroom
The fact network surveillance systems are used in law courts and schools is no surprise. But the two following applications deal less with safety and security, rather finding new uses for the network video system.
In courts, IP cameras connected with audio and microphones are used to record testimonials during trials. The recorded evidence can then be saved and reviewed at a later time, when needed.
Finding its way into the classroom, network video and audio can also be a powerful educational tool. In one application, a variety of cameras and high-performance microphones are used to record human patient simulation scenarios in healthcare education. The equipment is set up in dedicated simulation rooms and monitored from a separate control room. The videos are archived for later evaluations and discussions between students and professors.
Smart solution scores a goal
A good example from the world of sports is how IP cameras are used to review goals and penalties in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), a popular amateur junior ice hockey league in Canada.
Ice hockey is an action-packed sport, where things happen rapidly, and a so-called slapshot can be as fast as 175 km/h. In the OHL, each referee call is reviewed on video before the playing continues, but their analogue video system didn’t quite cut it. They saw a need to upgrade to a high-definition system, with the ability to zoom in and to look at video sequences frame by frame. The league now uses the same camera system at all of its 20 ice rinks.
Another, quite challenging requirement was that the OHL wanted live video feeds to go both to the TV broadcast truck outside the ice rink and to the video replay in the stadium control room. This was solved using customised interface that convert the live video solution into a double stream for the different screen formats.
Driving innovation, today and in the future
These are just some examples of what you can achieve using Axis hardware and AXIS Camera Station video management software as a foundation.
There are certainly many ways to use a solution from Axis. We have the means of making it happen. And based on input from our customers or partners, or through our own R&D, we continually drive innovation to help create even smarter business solutions or ones that improve safety and security.
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