Video analytics

Video content analysis (also Video content analytics, VCA) is the capability of automatically analyzing video to detect and determine temporal and spatial events.

This technical capability is used in a wide range of domains including entertainment, health-care, retail, automotive, transport, home automation, flame and smoke detection, safety and security. The algorithms can be implemented as software on general purpose machines, or as hardware in specialized video processing units.

Many different functionalities can be implemented in VCA. Video Motion Detection is one of the simpler forms where motion is detected with regard to a fixed background scene. More advanced functionalities include video tracking and egomotion estimation.

Based on the internal representation that VCA generates in the machine, it is possible to build other functionalities, such as identification, behavior analysis or other forms of situation awareness.

VCA relies on good input video, so it is often combined with video enhancement technologies such as video denoising, image stabilization, unsharp masking and super-resolution.

Several articles provide an overview of the modules involved in the development of video analytic applications. This is a list of known functionalities and a short description.

VCA is a new technology. New applications are frequently found, however the track record of different types of VCA differs widely. Functionalities such as motion detection and people counting are believed to be available as commercial off-the-shelf products with a decent track-record, even freeware such as dsprobotics Flowstone can handle movement and color analysis.

In many domains VCA is implemented on CCTV systems, either distributed on the cameras (at-the-edge) or centralized on dedicated processing systems. Video Analytics and Smart CCTV are commercial terms for VCA in the security domain. In the UK the BSIA has developed an introduction guide for VCA in the security domain. In addition to video analytics and to complement it, audio analytics can also be used.

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