Department of Civil Engineering \ Transportation

Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment

The National University of Malaysia
Semester II - Session 2015/2016

Task 4 \ Video Sensor

Urban Traffic Management System

Name Student
Ameer Abdul Adheem Hussein
P81466

Lecturer
PROF. DATO' IR. DR RIZA ATIQ ABDULLAH BIN
O.K. RAHMAT
Dr. MUHAMAD NAZRI BIN BORHAN

Task 4:
Find and assess at least 5 commercial smart video cameras and how they can
be utilized in traffic management system.

Solution \\

Introduction:
Smart Traffic cameras are an innovative and extremely functional use of video
surveillance technology. You've seen their footage during traffic reports on the
TV news. They're atop traffic signals and placed along busy roads, and at busy
intersections of the highway. Whether they're recording traffic patterns for future
study and observation or monitoring traffic and issuing tickets for moving
violations, traffic cameras are an explosively popular form of video surveillance.
And smart cameras have gained significant popularity and market acceptance,
especially in surveillance and machine vision industries. A smart camera is a
vision system that can perform tasks far beyond simply taking photos and
recording videos. Thanks to the purposely developed intelligent image
processing and pattern recognition algorithms running on increasingly powerful
microprocessors, smart cameras can detect motion, measure objects, read
vehicle number plates, and even recognize human behavior. They are essential
components for building active and automated control systems for many
applications and hold great promise for being pervasive and intelligent sensors
in the future. In this report we provide a tentative classification of smart cameras
is provided based on their system architectures.

Among the six major human senses, vision, smell, taste, hearing, touch, and no
touch feelings, vision is probably the one that can capture most amount of
information in a short period of time about the environment a person is in.
However, making sense of this large amount of information is not an easy task,
as it requires brain power for fast and reliable information processing. The
ultimate purpose of a smart camera is to be able to functionally mimic the
human eyes and brain and to interpret what the camera sees through artificial
intelligence.
The smart cameras have attracted significant interest from research groups,
universities, and many industry segments especially in video surveillance and
manufacturing industries. This is because smart cameras offer distinct
advantages over normal (or standard) cameras by performing not just image
capture but also image analysis and event/pattern recognition, all in one
compact system. The growing popularity of smart cameras can be attributed to
the progress made in semi-conductor process technology, embedded computer
vision techniques, along with socio-economic factors such as safety and
security, increase in productivity and cost savings. Today, smart camera
products are used in many real-world applications, especially in video
surveillance, industrial machine vision, robotics, games and toys, and human
computer interfaces.

Smart Camera:
Smart camera or intelligent camera is a label which refers to cameras that have
the ability to not only take pictures but also more importantly make sense of
what is happening in the image and in some cases take some action on behalf
of the camera user. For example, a camera that can monitor a door entry and
trigger an alarm or send an e-mail to a user when an entry is attempted outside
of opening hours would qualify to be a smart camera because it can figure out
what is happening (detecting a prohibited entry and take action (triggering an
alarm or sending an e-mail). smart cameras are especially suited for
applications where several cameras must operate independently and often
asynchronously, or when distributed vision is required (multiple inspection or
surveillance points along a production line or within an assembly machine). Also
smart cameras have a great contribution in traffic management implementation
usually a network of traffic smart cameras connected together with a central
server to keep delivering updates to the traffic control center.

Characteristics of Smart Cameras:

Compared to normal cameras, such as CCTV cameras, web and IP (Internet
Protocol) cameras, industrial video cameras, and other general-purpose
cameras, smart cameras may look quite similar from the outside, but they have
some distinct characteristics which make them smart and useful. These include
the following:
The defining component in a smart camera is its ASIP block, The ASIP block
consists of one or more powerful embedded microprocessor(s), which run
specially designed real-time image processing and pattern recognition
algorithms, for the targeted applications. For example, in automatic number
plate recognition, an ASIP block could consist of a digital signal processor
(DSP) that runs algorithms to detect and segment number plate area of a
vehicle and to recognize the numbers and letters on the plate, automatically,
autonomously, and in real time.
Because the primary function of a smart camera is not to produce images
and video of better quality for people to watch but to extract useful
information from the images and make decisions, the output from a smart
camera is usually of very low bandwidth. For example, in the case of
successful number plate recognition, the output from the smart camera can
be as little as a few bytes, representing the numbers and letters, every
several seconds. Low output bandwidth requirement is particularly important
for wireless smart cameras. Some smart cameras may still be required to
transmit video to other devices, but this transmission may be infrequent
(when events occur), or in compressed form, or at a lower resolution. A nonsmart camera alternative would be a CCTV camera which produces and
sends full resolution video to a centralized computer for processing and
recognition or for people to watch. In this case the bandwidth requirement at
the output of the camera can be very high.
Some smart cameras can be programmable so as to perform different tasks
for a particular class of applications. For example, some smart cameras for
video surveillance application can be programmed to perform different types
of event detection, such as intruder detection, abandoned object detection,
and stolen object detection. This re-programmability is possible due to the
re-programmability of the microprocessor(s) in the ASIP block.
Low power consumption: This is an important requirement for batteryoperated smart cameras.
Small physical size: Small size cameras facilitate deployment. This can be
very important for security and surveillance applications where cameras may
need to be hidden

Advantages of smart camera:

1) Smart cameras perform signal and image processing where the signal is
captured and where signal quality is best. This avoids signal degradation
caused by repetitive digital-to-analog conversion and analog-to-digital
conversion, by network errors, and by video compression.
2) Smart cameras use high-performance microprocessors (such as DSP,
FPGA) that are tailored to perform data-intensive signal and image
processing tasks. Processors like FPGA provide massive parallel
processing capability to support real-time requirements. General-purpose
computers such as PCs are usually not suitable for high-speed signal and
image processing tasks.
3) Smart cameras make it easier to perform active vision which means
that image sensor or capture unit can be actively and dynamically
controlled so that better quality images are captured (not to facilitate
human viewing but to facilitate subsequent processing). Active vision
gives more autonomy and flexibility to image capture, allowing a finely
controlled image acquisition process.
4) Smart cameras are autonomous systems and do not need a great deal of
intervention once calibrated.
5) Because they are autonomous, smart cameras can significantly simplify
the design and management of an intelligent system, such as an
automatic road congestion charging system. This is because smart
camera solutions have a smaller part count.
6) By performing image processing and pattern recognition, smart cameras
greatly reduce the amount of data that need to be passed on to higher
level systems. This can offer a significant bandwidth saving at the output
of the cameras.
7) Because of their compact size, smart cameras are easier to be deployed
in real-world applications. In some cases, as in machine vision
applications, this could prove to be a very important factor.
8) Because they are autonomous, smart cameras can significantly simplify
the design and management of an intelligent system, such as an
automatic road congestion charging system. This is because smart
camera solutions have a smaller part count.

Classification of Smart Cameras:

Classified as smart cameras even though they do not appear to be stand-alone
cameras. In fact, many of these systems are referred to as smart cameras
within academia and in the research literature. Classify smart cameras into
three categories: integrated smart cameras, compact-system smart cameras,
and distributed smart cameras. The integrated smart cameras category can be
further divided into three types. This integration-level-based classification is
presented below and shown in Fig. The inclusion of compact-system smart
cameras and distributed smart cameras into the classification can be
controversial, but this classification does seem to cover most reported work on
smart cameras and actual commercial products.

Fig.A classification of smart cameras based on levels of integration. From top to bottom, the camera systems
have decreasing level of integration.

1. Integrated smart cameras. These are the real smart cameras and can
be subdivided into three types:
a) Smart camera on a chip or single-chip smart cameras.
b) Embedded smart cameras.
c) Stand-alone smart cameras.

2. Compact-system smart cameras.

3. Distributed smart cameras.

In Fig. from top to bottom, the level of integration between the ASIP and image
capture parts of the camera system decreases, while the flexibility and
complexity of the camera system increase. A single-chip smart camera has all
or part of the ASIP implemented on the same chip as the solid-state image
sensor, mostly a CMOS image sensor. An embedded smart camera is a smart
camera embedded in another device, for example, a mobile phone or an optical
mouse. A stand-alone smart camera is probably the most
Natural smart camera, either by appearance or by definition. A compactsystem smart camera is an embedded vision system that usually has two major
components: a camera which may be a conventional camera or which may
house part of the ASIP block; and a nearby unit containing the ASIP block and
I/Os. A distributed smart camera system is composed of several cameras or
smart cameras networked together, the whole system can sometimes be
viewed as a single virtual smart camera, and some of the system ASIP
functionality is not provided at each node, but across the network, in a
distributed manner. Detailed discussions about each of these five types of
smart cameras are presented in the following sections .

Table shows some typical sample applications for each of these types of smart
cameras:

Types

Characteristics

Applications

Single-chip smart
cameras

ASIP on the same chip

as the image sensor,
extremely low power,
small size
Camera is embedded in
another device such as
a mobile phone
Normal smart
cameras, all in one
camera casing
ASIP in a separate
embedded system
nearby
Part of the system ASIP
rendered by the network
topology

Toys, pervasive
information
sensors

Embedded smart
cameras
Stand-alone smart
cameras
Compact-system smart
cameras
Distributed smart
cameras

Optical mice, fingerprint

readers, smart camera
phones
Industrial machine
vision, human
computer interfaces
Security, traffic
surveillance, machine
vision
Intelligent and
pervasive video
surveillance, industrial
machine vision,
pervasive information
gathering systems

HD Security camera types:

HD-SDI CCTV cameras, also known as HD security cameras, are capable of
capturing video surveillance footage at 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels).
These high definition surveillance cameras must be used with HD-SDI
surveillance DVR.
There are five types from this camera:
1- HD-BL40 HD Surveillance Camera, HD-SDI CCTV Security Camera, 1080p.
HD-BL40 HD Surveillance Camera features:
HD-SDI Technology, use only with HD-SDI compatible DVRs.
Indoor/Outdoor weatherproof (IP68 weatherproof Rated).
Low Light and Zero Light Performance with 40 Infrared LEDs.
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080).
3.4mm Fixed Lens supports a 91.2 degree field of view.
Grey Metal Housing.
Advanced on Screen Display controls for Light sensitivity, exposure,
white balance, day/night, digital noise reduction, color, SENS-UP, and
sharpness adjustments.

2- HD-D20 HD Security Camera, Dome HD-SDI CCTV Surveillance Camera.

HD-D20 Dome HD Camera features:
HD-SDI Technology (use only with HD-SDI compatible DVRs).
Plastic Housing Designed for Indoor Surveillance.
Low Light and Zero Light Performance with 20 Infrared LEDs.
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080).
4.3mm Fixed Lens supports a 91.2 degree field of view.
Black Base (Also available in White).
Advanced on Screen Display controls for Light sensitivity, exposure,
white balance, day/night, digital noise reduction, color, SENS-UP, and
sharpness adjustments.

3- HD-AD40 Vandal Dome HD Security Camera, Weatherproof 1080p HD-SDI

CCTV.
HD-AD40 Dome HD Camera features:
HD-SDI Technology (use only with HD-SDI compatible DVRs).
IP68 Weatherproof / Vandal Dome Housing.
Low Light and Zero Light Performance with 40 Infrared LEDs.
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080).
28-8.2mm varifocal lens provides adjustable 128.6- 37.8 field of view
White Base.
Tri-axis mounts for ceiling or wall installations.
Smart IR (Infrared) Technology.
Advanced on Screen Display controls for Light sensitivity, exposure,
white balance, day/night, digital noise reduction, color, SENS-UP, and
sharpness adjustments.

4- HD-BX7-28 HD-SDI CCTV Camera, HD 2 Megapixel Box Camera, 2.812mm Lens.

HD-BX7-28 HD-SDI Box Camera features:
HD-SDI Technology (use only with HD-SDI compatible DVRs).
Indoor or Outdoor Use (with optional camera housing).
Great Low Light Performance.
Full HD Video Resolution @ 1080p (1920 x 1080).
2.8-12mm Varifocal / Auto-Iris Lens.
Adjustable 139 to 33 Degree Field of View.
Supports Ceiling and Wall Mount Installations.
WDR / Wide Dynamic Range.
Advanced on Screen Display controls for Light sensitivity, exposure,
white balance, day/night, digital noise reduction, color, SENS-UP, and
sharpness adjustments.

5- HD-D20W Dome HD CCTV Camera, White Dome 1080p HD-SDI Security

Camera.
HD-D20W Dome HD Camera features:
HD-SDI Technology (use only with HD-SDI compatible DVRs).
White Plastic Housing Designed for Indoor Surveillance.
Low Light and Zero Light Performance with 20 Infrared LEDs.
Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080).
4.3mm Fixed Lens supports a 91.2 degree field of view.
White Base (Black also available).
Tri-axis mounts for ceiling or wall installations.
WDR / Wide Dynamic Range.
Advanced on Screen Display controls for Light sensitivity, exposure,
white balance, day/night, digital noise reduction, color, SENS-UP, and
sharpness adjustments.

How the smart camera can be utilized in traffic

management system?
Cameras have always been an element in Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS). But
over time, the role of cameras in these systems has changed. In the beginning,
cameras only served as a simple monitoring or capturing device for observing
traffic flow. Today, the camera in an ITS system is the optimized eye of the
system itself, contributing high quality images that are used for demanding
traffic control applications, for enabling additional functions like LPR (license
plate recognition) or vehicle classification .
Basler cameras are designed to meet the needs of all mainstream traffic
applications. Among their many other features, they offer :

Easy integration.
High image quality.
A high dynamic range.
High sensitivity.
An outstanding price/performance ratio.
Quality made in Germany (3 years warranty).

Todays high-performance cameras are the optimized eye for Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS), supplying high-resolution images even under
challenging conditions. Cameras give modern transportation systems the power
of vision from identifying traffic violations to traffic monitoring and toll
collection systems. The camera technologies used for these purposes fall into
two groups: industrial cameras (machine vision) and network cameras (IP).
Both camera technologies offer different functions beyond their original areas of
application, making them compatible with a wide variety of transportation
projects. You can read more about these functions in our White Paper Optimal
Vision Using Cameras for Intelligent Transportation Systems.

Typical applications for smart cameras in the ITS field is:

Enforcement (e.g., speed enforcement, red light enforcement, and lane
violation detectio).
Tolling (e.g., Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) and toll enforcement to prevent
fraud).
Traffic Monitoring (e.g., monitoring traffic flow, road, and weather conditions,
and looking for accidents or other incidents).
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) (eg. journey time
measurement, parking or access control solutions as well as intelligent traffic
monitoring, city tolling and speed enforcement).