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Info4Security (I4S): It seems that from almost nowhere there are a number of solutions providers who have now introduced either 180 or 360 degree cameras. Why do you think this has happened?
Chris Williams (CW): Advances in technology have made it possible, but it’s really straightforward economics which has created the demand. In a tough economic environment, anything which can reduce the strain on capital expenditure budgets is likely to be an attractive proposition, and there’s no doubt that panoramic or ‘fisheye’ lens cameras, as they are often referred to, can reduce the cost of video surveillance in many situations.
I4S: How is this possible?
CW: A panoramic camera can be used to monitor very wide or large areas. The cost savings come from the fact that they can therefore significantly reduce the number of cameras needed for video surveillance projects in, for example, retail environments, airport security, manufacturing processes or public spaces.
Apart from the reduction in capital costs, they are straightforward to install and commission and particularly so when they are supplied with a built-in lens and are pre-focused. There is also the additional benefit that, with no moving parts, panoramic cameras offer further cost savings on maintenance costs.
I4S: What are the operational benefits of panoramic cameras?
CW: Blind areas can still occur even if fixed cameras are carefully installed which, in a retail environment for example, shoplifters will be keen to exploit.
While PTZ cameras can help negate this problem, they cannot provide an uninterrupted record of all events simultaneously and may not of course be monitoring where an incident is taking place. A 360 degree camera exceeds the capabilities of a PTZ camera by recording activity over a wide area and in every direction at the same time.
I4S: How do these cameras work?
CW: In simple non-technical terms, the camera’s lens and sensor work together to capture 180 degree images if the camera is wall mounted, or 360 degree images if ceiling mounted. The images captured will be ‘warped’ and, as such, the true proportions of viewed objects may be altered, with straight lines of objects appearing to be curved. A software process is therefore needed to ‘de-warp’ the images.
Some of the cameras currently available have an integrated video processor that performs ‘pre recording de-warping’ which enables the process to be performed before the images are streamed to the server. Such network cameras provide multiple simultaneous electronic-Pan-Tilt-Zoom (ePTZ) and panoramic video streams which may be recorded or viewed live. Multiple ePTZs allow each user to control the camera, as if it were their own unique PTZ camera, independently of the other users.
I4S: Are there any disadvantages or difficulties associated with working alongside panoramic cameras?
CW: Until recently, panoramic cameras could only be installed with the respective manufacturer’s proprietary de-warping recording software. This has restricted the ability of the end customer to use them as part of a larger integrated video surveillance system.
I4S: How can this problem be overcome?
CW: As is so often the case nowadays, the ingenuity of software engineers has come to the rescue and there is now a de-warping software module available which processes the fisheye images captured by panoramic cameras produced by a number of different manufacturers, and provides the option for them to be monitored alongside video from other types of cameras in a multi-image display.
This de-warping software module performs the ‘de-warping’ function in the client to enable objects to appear with their original and linear proportions. This mode of operation is known as ‘post-recording de-warping’.
The field of view and level of digital zoom for each view can be freely configured by the user, effectively creating one or more ‘virtual’ cameras. These views can be created to monitor ‘live’ footage, playback original ‘warped’ footage or playback de-warped footage retrospectively.
It’s a very clever piece of software in that it allows operators to effortlessly ‘move’ throughout the 180 or 360 degree images either with a conventional joystick or a three-axis mouse or it can be set to pan like a continual PTZ. There’s also an option to overlap the whole image in a panoramic view.
Most importantly, whatever the operator does the original images captured by the panoramic camera are stored unaltered so that specific video data can be presented and verified in a court of law if required.
I4S: You seem to be a big fan of panoramic cameras. Does Wavestore make a point of recommending them to customers?
CW: Wavestore is ‘device agnostic’ in so far as our priority is to ensure that, whatever camera or camera and lens combination the customer chooses, they can be confident that our software supports it.
Our DVR systems are able to simultaneously record and display high quality images from combinations of analogue, network (IP and megapixel), HD, HDcctv and infra-red cameras as well as 360 degree cameras. We’re therefore able to offer an objective view about the benefits of 180 and 360 degree cameras which we feel should at least be considered as an option for most projects, as they can offer operational as well as cost saving benefits.
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A de-warped view of panoramic camerasInfo4Security (I4S): It seems that from almost nowhere there are a number of solutions providers who have now introduced either […]
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