VideoIQ Version 3.1 Analytics Examined

In this note, we examine key new features of VideoIQ's Version 3.1 software release [link no longer available]. The focus of this release is improvements and expansions of video analytic functionalities.

Two notable new analytic detections are now available:

• Rules that allow for detecting entry and exit from vehicles or a doorway while ignoring other people in the scene / FoV. This may provide better tracking / alerting in higher traffic areas.
• ATM loitering detection: VideoIQ says this can differentiate a person sleeping in the vestibule vs a garbage bag left behind (as an example) and can do so without losing track of an object that is stationary for a significant period of time. The camera uses an overhead FoV. Given the cost and complexity of integrating a new camera for just this use, we question how broadly applicable this is.

Additionally, a number of new elements have been added to search:

• Previously, VideoIQ required rules to be defined up front to detect and categorize events. This release adds 'post facto' rules allowing searching for scenarios defined after the fact.
• Boolean rules: Now, operators can search for combinations of conditions (both 'and' and 'or'). An example VideoIQ offered is to search for a vehicle stopping and a person appearing.
• Activity search: Historically, VideoIQ allowed for selecting detected objects (e.g., a block around a person) and searching for other objects that look like the person. Now, the operator can use 'post facto' rules to perform more dynamic searches.

The full search capabilities will be available in VideoIQ's own VMS client. Additionally, VideoIQ shares its metadata with 3rd parties so they can provide their own advanced search user interface. That noted, we believe very few VMSes will deeply integrate VideoIQ's new search capabilities (it is expensive and time consuming to do so). Assuming a customer's VMS does not add the search functions to their UI, this will require the use of a second client to perform VideoIQ analytic based searches. While this is certainly possible, it is generally less desirable as most users prefer a single client monitoring setup.

The 3.1 release has the potential to enable use beyond basic intrusion alerting that is common in today's video analytic applications. How well these new elements work in the field will be key. This is not something we can assess or speculate on today. We plan to test this in the next few months to better understand the usability of these features.