Scientific Photography and Applied Imaging

26 Surveillance systems

26.1 Introduction

A variety of photographic and electronic imaging systems are used for surveillance, verification and inspection purposes. Increasingly, computerized analysis is used, related to machine vision and artificial intelligence. Industrial uses include quality inspection, gauging, pattern recognition, character reading, robot guidance and process monitoring. Police and security work includes covert surveillance; recording of activities in prisons, banks, car parks, shops, public areas and lifts; traffic management; census of human activities such as room occupancy, queuing and shopping patterns; animal studies and behaviour; verification of non-violation of arms limitation treaties; identification systems and ...