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Home > Mobile video surveillance solutions for this generation
August 16, 2006
By: Alice Osborn
From home to office surveillance to video surveillance at
public events, mobile video surveillance solutions are here
to stay and will only get better and more affordable in the
future. Besides adding a sense of personal security and
safety, wireless mobile phones can alert the user during a
home invasion and can also help first responders when they
are confronted with a security issue in a public place.
Through wireless video surveillance technology, the first
medical or security personnel to the scene can record their
mobile phone camera's images and relay them back to their
command center. At the command center, the decision will be
made to send backup or to let the first responder handle the
situation. These mobile phones can also make a difference
after a natural disaster strikes by quickly imaging the
damage so that it can be accessed quickly.
Video over mobile phone technologies for home and
office use
Several companies have launched video over mobile
technology products for the home and office. Among them are
the IRIS camera from
Pedagog (U.K.), the 3rd-i mobile
surveillance solutions from
Cratima (Romania), and the
DCS-2120 camera from
D-Link (U.K.), all of which provide
video streaming technology to give users peace of mind when
they're away from home or the office.
- The IRIS mobile phone camera -- What is so
special about the IRIS wireless camera is its ability to
stream live video to mobile phones without requiring
broadband or a designated network. The network
independence of this wireless network camera is due in
part to the
Unified Media Architecture (UMA) technology
incorporated into the device which allows rich media
transport across differing transport layers (2G, 2.5G, 3G,
and WiFi). Also, this system doesn't require a costly 3G
phone -- you only need a 2.5G GPRS and Java 2.0-enabled
handset. You can use the IRIS camera to view videos on
your mobile phone while abroad, too.
How it works: The IRIS camera monitors for movement using
infrared and motion sensor technologies. Once movement is
detected, the camera captures the video and uploads it to
a secure server. Then the user is alerted through a text
message, so she can view the images from her phone and see
what's going on in her home in real-time. If for some
reason the user cannot view the images after she's
alerted, the IRIS stores the video for up to thirty days.
- 3rd-i solution -- This mobile phone
surveillance system offers real-time monitoring for any
user who has GSM/GPRS coverage and 3rd-i's Video Streaming
Server, developed by Cratima software, to adjust the fps
and compression rate to fit each individual camera. The
3rd-i system also offers a very low data transfer of
approximately 100Kb per minute.
How it works: The Video Grabbing Server take the images
from the monitoring cameras and sends them to the Video
Streaming Server, which is responsible for properly
forwarding them to the client application on the user's
mobile phone.
- DCS-2120 wireless Internet camera -- Unlike the
other two mobile surveillance solutions, the
DSC-2120 requires a 3G phone or PDA to view video and
listen to sound. Says Balvinder Singh Phull, of D-Link, "I
believe this is the first IP camera to offer support for
3G and, unlike many competitive products, the surveillance
software is available for free and is supplied with the
camera."
This camera also needs to be hooked into an Ethernet
network or broadband connection. Equipped with a CPU, web
server, and software, this wireless surveillance camera
has low-light capabilities and a 4x zoom lens. Like the
other solutions listed, this model captures the images
only when a motion sensor is activated.
Wireless mobile technologies for public safety
personnel
Beside consumer and business applications, mobile phone
surveillance technologies can also help law enforcement and
emergency personnel. Municipalities are purchasing
surveillance solutions that include wireless video
technology. For instance, five Florida Sheriffs' Offices
deployed
Charys Technologies Group's wireless solutions for two
of this year's Fourth of July events. The video cameras were
placed in high traffic zones throughout the event area and
these images were sent to wireless nodes, which condensed
the data and then sent it to the mobile command center where
it was monitored by several public safety personnel.
We remember the July London bombings from last July and
know how important the camera phones were at capturing the
horror of this event in an immediate way. In only a year,
wireless mobile phone companies have made great strides at
reducing the cost for the consumer while providing clearer
picture and frame quality. As wireless technology changes
towards more designated networks, like the ones that serve
two of the solutions described above, the cost of setting up
IP networks will go down and wireless surveillance will be
in more affordable for smaller companies and the public.
This new generation of wireless technology is sure a leap
ahead of CCTV cameras and VCRs in the control room. Soon,
the control room may be a thing of the past as more
individuals use handheld devices for their video
surveillance needs.
About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your
definitive guide to video surveillance equipment, CCTV
cameras and wireless security systems for home and business.
Also See: [ Home
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[ Video
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