Evolv Is Not A "Weapons Detector", It Is a Metal Detector
While Evolv's CEO declared Evolv is "a weapons detector, not a metal detector", IPVM has determined that Evolv is a metal detector, though smarter than conventional ones (Updated 2023) based on conversations with Evolv's executive team plus research into Evolv's patents and academic papers.
Evolv cannot precisely detect what is truly a weapon, regularly mistaking what they admit are "benign" objects, including Chromebooks (as we recently analyzed) plus 3 other common false alert sources, as weapons.
In this note, we examine Evolv's technology, including how it operates, the systematic false positives it generates (from its own documentation), and how it is clearly smarter than conventional metal detectors though still limited in its intelligence about "weapons".
Not * ***** ********
***** ********, ******* *************, **** **** are "*** * ***** ********",** ***** ***, ** ********* *****:
False ********* ***** - **** ******* *******
*******, *****'* **** ****** ****** ** false ****** ******* *********, *********, ******** cases, *** *******, ** *** ******* from*** *******'* **** ******** ********** *****:
**** ***** * ****** ******* - objects **** *** ******** *** ****, as *** ************ ***** **********:
***** ****** ********** *********** ******* ** actual ****** - **** * *** - *** ******* **** *** ******* not ******* (******** *****, *******, *********, umbrellas) ******* ***** ******* **** ***** characteristics **** **** ****** ***** *** Evolv **** *** **** ********** ************ to ************* ******* ****.
Conventional ** *****
**** ***** ******* *** ************ ***** Detector *** ****** ******** ********* *******, however, ***** ******* **** * **** sophisticated ******** ** ******** ******** ****.
***** ************ ***** ********* ****** ******* the ******** **** *** ******** ******, Evolv ******* ******** * *********** ******* of ***-********** *******, ********* *** ************** index ** ******** ******* ***** ******* and * ************** ******.
***** **** * ************** ****** ********* the ******** **** *** ******** ****** scanned ** * ***** **** *********. From ***** ***** **************** ****:
*** ************** ****** ... *** ** configured ** ********* * ****-*** ****** or ******* ***** *** ** ******* by * *** ** ********** ********* position, *****, ****-******, *** ************** *****. Best *** *** ** ********** ** a **** ******** **** ******** *** difference ******* *** ****** ************ *** those ********* ** * *****...
*** ****** ******* ******** **** **** the ****-*** ****** ** *****, * corresponding ***** ** *** ******** ************** Index *** *** ****** ** ********** and ****** **. **** ***** ************* the ******'* ******** ******** *** ** dependent ** *** *****, ****, *** electric *** ******** ********** ** *****. The ****** ***** ** ******** ** a ******* ** ************* ****** ********** to **** * ******/***-****** ********.
************, ***** ******* *** ******* ******** capabilities **** *** **** **** ******/***-****** discrimination, **** *** **** ******:
…* ******/***-****** ******** *** *** * classifier ******* ** ** * ******* learning *******, ** ***** **** ******* examples ** ******* *** ***-******* *** used ** ***** *** ******** ******* algorithm ** ********* ** * ***** detected ****** ****** ** ************* ** a ****** ** ***-******.
************ ***** ********* *** **** ************* data *** ****** **************** (*** ***** time, ** ***** *** ********* ** a ******** ******) *** ** *** reconstruct *** ********.
*******,**** ****** ***** ** ******* **** a ************ ***** ********,*** ******* ***** *** *********** ************* limitations ** *************** ****** ******* **** actual *******. ***** **** * *********** model ** ****** *** ****** * scanned ****** ** ** ***** * library ** ***** *******. **** ** based ** ******* ******** ********** ** these ******* (**** ** *** ************** index). ***********, ******* ****** ******* (**** as *********, *********, *******, ***.) ******* similar ********** ** *** ******* **** Evolv ****.
** ******, *** ** **** ******* the ****** ** ******** ** *****'* process ** ******* ** ********* ******** objects ***, *********, ****** ******* ***-******** weapons.
Value ** ******* ***** *********
****** ***** ********* ******* **** ******* potential ********, *.*., ******** *** ****** and ***** ** ******** ******* **** generate ***** ******.
*** *****, **** *** ************ ***********, detects ***** *** ***** *** *********** limitations ** ********* ******* ****** ******** objects *** ******* ***-******** *******. ************* this ** ********* ** ******** ******** both *** ******** **** ***** *** deliver *** **** *********** ** ***** are ******* **** *****'* ******.
Evolv ******** / *** *******
********** ** *** ******** ** ***** to **(***** *** *** ** ********), ** did ***** **** *****'* ********** ******* in ********, ***** *** ******* ************ that **** **** ****** ***** ******* and **** **** ***** ******** ***** alerts ** ***-*******. ** **** ***** Evolv ***** *** ********** ** **** Evolv ** ******** **** * ******* or ****** ***** ********. ** **** time, **** ***** ** **** **** time ** ***** ***** **** ***, thereafter, **** ******* ** ***** **** IPVM.
** ** ** **** *** ******** we ****** **, ** ** **** Evolv ***** ** ******* ******** ** input, ** **** *********** ****** *** reporting *** ***** ** **** *** public.
Update (**/**/****): As we have **** **** *********** ******** **** ***********, *** ******** is **** ** ** *** *******, and **** ******* *** **** ******* accordingly. ***** *** ******* ** *** Evolv ***** *** **** ******** ****'** changed, ** *** ** ******* ********* that ** ** * ***** ********.
***** ** ******* ********** ******** ***% accurate... ** ** ******* ** **** technology *** ** ******** ***% ********?
* ****** **** ** *** ** the ***** ***** *******, *** **** everything * ***, *** *** **** 100% ********* ****. ** ** ******* above, *** ******** ** * **** system ** *** **********, *** ***-********** without **** ******** * ***** ****** of ***** *********.
***, ********* ********* ********* **** *** are ******* **** **** ** *** really ********** *** ******, ** **** specifically *** *****, *** ******* ********** up *** ******* ** ***** *********.
* ** *** **** ** ****** is ***** ** **** ** **** this ************...
- ***** *********** ***** *********, ****** **** Hikvision; ******** - ******* **** ********* Cameras, ******** **% ** ******* ** Victims,
- ****** *** ********** '**********' '**********', **** Refutes,
- ****** ******** **** ****
** ***** ******** ** ******* ******'* weapon ********* ******** *** *** *********** with *** ******* ** ***** ******* was ********** ** ** ***** ******* competency *** ******.
***, * *** ****** ** *** pivoting ** (** **** **) ******* detection *** *** **** ********* ** *** **** ******* **** ***:
*******, *** **** **** ******* ****:
**** ******** **** ** *** ******* looks **** * **** ******** *** seems **** ****** ** ***** **** work **** ***** ** *** ** that
****** #* *** **** ***** *******! Historically ****** ******** ***** ******* ******* (alone) ** ****** **** (*** **** **** ***** **** ******) *** ** **** *****, ** does **** **** *** *** ******** is *********.
**** ** *****'* ******* (******** ****) demo **** * **** ******* ***** detector:
** ********, *** ******* **** **** just * ******* ******:
** ****** *** ******* *** ****** video, *******.
**** ********** * *** ********** *** **** ******* ***** ******** being **** ** ** *********** ****:
*'* **** ** *** ** ****** and ********** ** ******* *** ** Evolv.
****, ****** ** *** *********** ******* One *** ***** ******* ** **** segment, ****** ******** ******** ** ****.
******: ******** ** **** *****'* *** and *** *** ***** ************ * ***** ********, ************ ** *** ****** *** **************** ** ** ** * ***** detector:
**** ** *** **** ** ********* that * ***** ****** *** * company ** ******* ** *** **** is *** ******** ************ *******. ** ****** ******* ***** ** or **** *****, ****** ******** ****** Evolv ********** ** *******.
***, *** *** ** ******** ******* **** *************** "****************", **** ****** *** *** include * **** *** *** ******* recalled ******* **** ** *** ****** Act ******** *******.
Update (**/**/****): As we have done more research and obtained more information, our position is that it is not smarter, and this article has been updated accordingly. Given the changes to how Evolv tunes and what settings they've changed, we can be further confident that it is a metal detector.
******* ***** *** *****-******** ****** *** a ******, * ***** **** ** are ****** **** *** *** ****** of ** ** *******. ** *** last ** ***** ** **** **** from ** ***** **** ** * very ******** *** ******* **** **** processing ****** (** ******** ** *****) to ********* **** ** ********* ** be ********* ** * *********. ***, these *********** ** ** ***** ********** ready *** **** ** ***** **** complex ** *********** **** ********** ******** are ****** **********.
** ** *** *** ** *** point **** ** ** ********** ** problem **** **** ******* ************** **** what *** ********* ** **********. ** is *** *** ******** **** ***** "cheap" ** "****" ** "******" ** the ***** ** **** ***** **** to ***** ** ** *** ****** datastream (********* *****) *** ****** ** to **** ********** ******** *********.
* ***** ***** *** ****** *** a **** *********** *******. **** ****** time *** ****** * ********** ******* that **** **** *** ******** ** increase *** ******** ****** ************ ** metal ********* ** *** **** *** AI ******** ***** ********* ******* ***** 2010. * ***'* ***** **** *** going ** ** **** ** *** the ********** ** ******* ***** ********* reliability ** *** ***** ** ***** able ** ******* **** ****** *** cases, **** **** ******** ******/********** **********, and ******* ******* **** *** ******* reliable ****** *** *** ********* ** be ****** *******. *****, * ***** that ****** **** **** * **** large *********** ****** *** *** ******* to ****** * ******* **** ** more ******** *** ****** **** * traditional ***** ********. * ***'* ********* on *** **** "**** ******** *** useful" ********** **** ****** *******.
***** ****** ***'* ** * **** time. ** *** *********** ******** *** peak ** ** ** *** ********** wave, *** ***** ****** ** ***** of ****** ***** *** **** ******* may **** **** *** ******* ** ride ****** *** ***** **** *** refine *** ******* **** ********* **** is ****** ** "******* *********" *** less **** "****** ***** ***** ********". Those ** **** ***** ** ******* video ********* **** ***** ***** ** say **** * "****" ******** ********* is **** ******* ** **** ** detects *** **** ******* ** **** it ************ *******, ** ***** *** way **** ***** ***** ******* ** a ****** *********** **** ***** ******.
** *** ***** ** ** *****, it ** ********* (***) ** ********** evaluate *** ****** ****** ********** ******, like * ***** ********, **** ******** has * *** **-******** ******* ****** major ****** ** ******** ***********. ** is ***** * ********* ******* *******, and *** **** ****** *** *** feed ** ******* **** ********** *******, the **** ****** *** **** *** good *******. ** *** ***** **** this ***** **** ** **** ******** to **** ******* ****** *** **** not ** ****** ** ******* ** low-end (*****) ******* ** ****** ****** scenes *** ******* **** ********* ** quality ****** *** ***** * *****.