Automated Vehicle Categorization using AI-powered real-time Video Analytics

Human vision is a powerful tool that allows us to accurately perceive the world around us. But, it is not sufficient to meet the ever-growing demands poised by businesses and organizations. Take the case of security surveillance for example. Here, a security officer needs to stare at multiple screens that displays live footage from CCTV cameras to identify security breaches, trespassing, etc. This process is highly inefficient, especially since the average attention span of humans is under 10 seconds.

However, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has given us the ability to develop something just as powerful- Computer Vision. The ground-breaking discoveries in the fields of deep learning and neural networks have allowed computer vision to reach a point where it can surpass humans when it comes to identifying and categorizing objects.

In one of the recent projects we developed for Reliance Industries, the business requirement was to categorize the vehicles that visited their retail petrol outlets. The client initially tried to generate customer vehicle classification data by assigning the task to a few employees. But it was ineffective as well as expensive. To meet the business requirement, we built a solution using computer vision to identify, track and categorize vehicles into predetermined categories such as a car, bus, truck, bike, scooter, etc.

Vehicle identification and tracking are some of the most developed applications of computer vision. It is beneficial to a lot of businesses and industries. For example, toll booths, gas stations, parking lots, automotive factories, smart cities, etc have a lot to benefit from automated vehicle identification and categorization.

Following are a few of the benefits provided by automated vehicle categorization;

Vehicle Analytics: Generate real-time metrics for the vehicles that visit your business premises. Especially for supermarkets, petrol stations, toll booths, etc. They can automate the facility management using the insights generated by vehicle identification.

Owner identification: Using automated number plate recognition, the owner of a vehicle can be identified. This can help a business to know if a high-value customer has visited the business premises. With this knowledge, the business manager can facilitate personalized experiences to the customer or meet and greet in person to boost the customer relationship.

Automated reports: Helpful for businesses such as parking lots, garages, etc. The business owner can get accurate daily reports of the number of vehicles visited, spend duration by each vehicle, the number of vehicles in each category etc.

The video below shows how a business can benefit from real-time video analytics;

The following industries are just a few examples of where vehicle identification and categorization using AI-powered real-time video analytics can find its place in modern society-  

Transportation

The concept of smart cities is on the rise, and video analytics can facilitate the integration of smooth sailing traffic into the creation of smart cities. Unchecked traffic can lead to serious road accidents and traffic jams. Smart video analytics solutions can put a stop to such problems by identifying vehicles that ignore traffic rules and go above speed limits. They can also identify and categorize vehicles like buses, cars, trucks, and bikes to provide deeper insights into traffic congestion in real-time.

Video analytics can also be used to create intelligent parking systems. Cameras can identify the number of vehicles in a particular parking lot and subsequently find unoccupied spaces that are available for parking. This information can be conveyed via communication systems in real-time.

Security

Video surveillance has been a tried and tested method of providing security for a long time now. Earlier, the most common method of video surveillance would involve security guards hunched over multiple screens of real-time video footage. The constant innovation in the field of video analytics means that we have a much more efficient and reliable method of remote video monitoring.

All businesses and residential developers consider safety as a top priority, and rightly so. The ability to detect the entry of unauthorized vehicles into a particular premise can put these concerns for security to rest, and the use of artificial intelligence to carry out this identification process has become increasingly common. License plate recognition techniques can be employed to grant access to authorized personnel into areas that require protection from the general public.

For example, an apartment complex can now use video analytics to differentiate between a resident and a visitor. Residential vehicles can be let in automatically, while visitor vehicles can be flagged and recorded in the system. The following are a few benefits of using a real-time video analytics system.

• Tracking the activities in critical areas
• Detect the crossing of virtual tripwires
• Detect intrusions
• Detect objects being left behind
• Detect stealing of objects
• Detect loitering

The real-time video streaming footage from the cameras that were placed along the circumference of the facility would be sent to the relay Server. This server would send across all this information to the concerned clients. If the analytics software detects any unusual activity, it sends an HTTP message to the alarm Server, which then determines which alarm response to initiate.

Law Enforcement

Needless to say, video analytics can help enforce laws and make public spaces safer for the community. Using video footage empowered by artificial intelligence, officials can have access to myriad information that includes weather, traffic congestion, road accidents, etc. Such algorithms can also help identify lost or stolen vehicles by running plate numbers through a database and matching it with real-time footage. In the city of New York, the NYPD often makes use of real-time footage to receive insights to improve their traffic management systems and track suspected vehicles through video analytics. 

Using a video surveillance technology that has the boosted benefit of artificial intelligence can help a number of organizations achieve their goals for a secure and productive working environment. It reduces the need for human intervention and increases the efficiency of a company’s daily workflow. At Accubits, we are committed to providing customized video analytics systems that cater to your individual needs. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any queries regarding how we can integrate our modern technology solutions with your modern world business problems.