AI played a crucial role in a client’s safe return-to-office strategy. We worked with Ipsotek, an Eviden business, to deliver a tailored solution.
Back in 2020, when COVID-19 emerged around the world, the UK Government required essential businesses to stay operational whilst ensuring strict social distancing requirements were enforced within their facilities. To adhere to new pandemic rules in enclosed spaces, Gratte Brothers Security Management‘s client, a global e-commerce retailer, needed a Shared Presence Management System to address the challenges of applying social distancing in their busy environment.
In order to meet this requirement, an intelligent system was designed and comprised of three components: VISuite AI software from Ipsotek (An Eviden business) network video cameras and an IP audio announcement system. Together, these components assisted staff in maintaining social-distancing practices by means of real-time measurement of persons in the workplace, and the generating of audible information alarms to encourage social distancing.
Gratte Brothers’ role on site was to complete all installation works relating to IP cameras as well as network speakers and network cabling, from these edge devices back to a central location which housed the head end equipment. All local setup and programming of the equipment as well as the commissioning tasks were completed by Gratte Brothers who also carried out all staff training required to operate and manage the system.
Ipsotek VISuite (an Eviden Computer Vision Platform) software’s stack is an advanced computer vision application that combines Artificial Intelligence and Scenario-Based Rule Engine (SBRE) Video Analytics for mission critical applications. VISuite AI converts video data into real-time, actionable intelligence to optimise safety & security and enables users to efficiently manage automatically generated alarms in real-time and avoid potential health and safety risks.
When operational, staff appearing in the camera FOV (“Field Of View”) at strategic locations such as entrances, walkways or other identified locations trigger audible announcements in real time if there is a risk or breach of social distancing. The AI Computer Vision solution from Ipsotek is able to classify multiple objects within a cameras FOV and in this application only people are identified to determine their distance and proximity to each other. Thus, the quality of reporting is highly accurate, and nuisance alarms are minimal.
The system additionally benefits from being self-contained and standalone without needing to be connected to the client’s video management system. Since the system does not retain personal identifiable information and operates in live viewing mode only, it is also GDPR compliant. After an initial deployment at select trial locations, the system was successfully rolled out to many of the client’s workplaces and contributed to safe working practices during the COVID pandemic.
Whilst in this instance, the system helped encourage social distancing “Best Practises”, VISuite AI is a mature computer vision application that can offer a wide variety of solutions to meet specific needs in complex environments. Established in 2001, Ipsotek is a pioneer in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Scenario-Based Rule Engine (SBRE) Video Analytics for mission critical applications. Their highly scalable platform VISuite, is a versatile AI computer vision platform that automatically raises alerts from existing CCTV cameras and/or Video Management Systems (VMS). VISuite converts video data into real-time, actionable intelligence to optimise safety & security and enables users to efficiently manage automatically generated alarms in real-time.
With headquarters in the United Kingdom and offices in the Middle East, USA and Singapore, Ipsotek’s innovative solutions are delivered to end-user clients through a global network of channel partners. Deployments include perimeter protection, intrusion detection, investigation & forensics, traffic management, crowd management, face recognition, number plate recognition and COVID-19 solutions. For more details on Ipsotek please visit www.ipsotek.com
