Future Robots to automatically identify terrorists in real time through Intelligent Video Surveillance

The surveillance for security operations is normally performed by humans, which provide visual intelligence. However, this can be dull and dangerous, especially for security operations. In the future machines or robots might be able to automatically recognize “suspicious behavior” or identify and interpret the acts of a potential terrorist.

However, for robots and other machines to become more useful for security applications require early detection of human activities that indicate a possible threat so that security forces can take adequate countermeasures. The machine should also be able to detect people in the scene, track them, and recognize their activities. The research is focused on real time person detection and tracking, motion features, and 2D pose classification algorithms to identify both the likely activity and the possible intent.

Persistent surveillance has been pegged as a crucial capability in current and future military operations. DARPA launched Mind Eye program in 20111 to improve conditions for warfighters on the ground. The agency worked with the U.S. Army, industry and academia to create a way to educate video collection devices. “Although existing cameras and sensors capture activity in an area, the mounds of visual data they collect are overwhelming to analysts and warfighters alike. Once visual intelligence is achieved, these information mountains will become actionable knowledge molehills that can be sent to commanders and perhaps directly to warfighters’ handheld computers in the field.”