Remote video surveillance systems

Abstract

Unmanned Ground Sensors (UGS) have seen resurgence in recent years for use in a growing number of remote surveillance applications. These sensors can provide a wide range of information to assist an analyst in recognizing the type of intrusion detected. The addition of sensor cued imagers has also gained popularity in extending the recognition capabilities of sensors to allow identification of people and vehicles thereby expanding the mission capabilities of these systems. We are now on the brink of the next advance in remote surveillance - unmanned video - which promises to provide information far beyond recognition and identification of individuals. Knowledge of the intent of individuals operating within an Area of Interest (AOI) is possible with the retrieval of collected video. Three technologies are converging to drive remote video capability; (1) low power video processors allow advanced video functions including video compression and automated target tracking to be applied at the video input point, (2) high bandwidth tactical radio networks offering robustness and communication range beyond commercial networks are now available to exfiltrate the video, and (3) low power sensors provide the ability to maximize system operational life through power management of multiple tiers within the system. These advances have combined to create the Remote Video Surveillance Systems which promise a leap forward in the situational knowledge provided by unmanned systems.