CCTV Systems and the Human Interface - Case Study Example

CCTV Systems and the Human Interface Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: CCTV Systems and the Human Interface CCTV is short for Closed Circuit television which is a surveillance system whose use is becoming more and more rampant in the modern world (TOA Corporation, 2005). The system basically comprises of a video camera which transmits signals through a coaxial cable to a central point. It is at this central point that the signals are monitored, recorded and video analysed. Due to the rising cases of insecurity and the subsequent need to maintain a sustainable surveillance system, the use of CCTVs has become inevitable due to its efficiency in surveillance. Its use has been diversified to retail stores for instance supermarkets to monitor cases of shop lifting, production line to monitor the production process and possibly identify weak points, among others. Basically, a CCTV system comprises of several elements which are intertwined in order to make the final system which is used for a specific purpose. A typical CCTV system comprises of cameras which are used for collection of the video images. The cameras are placed at strategic points which are the most convenient for surveillance. Various cameras have different types of lens with each lens having different properties which are suited for the purpose for which the CCTV system has been installed for. The cameras range from daylight cameras which are useful for surveillance during the day to night cameras which are convenient for use at night. The range of view of the cameras also varies for instance powerful PTZ domes are used for surveillance over large areas (Nicholson & Bulkey, 2005). There are typically two types of cameras fixed and pan/ zoom cameras which have the ability to rotate hence being able to cover more area. The other component is the monitors which is located at the central position whereby the operators can view the situation on the ground as captured by the cameras. The other component is the cable, which transmits the information from the camera to the central position. The final component of the CCTV system is the DVR The human operator of a CCTV System affects the efficiency of the system by a large extent. There are many factors which affect the efficiency of a CCTV system. Key among them is the human interface system. It would not be possible to delink the Human interface with the human operator hence the two must be discussed while touching on either one of them. The human interface illustrates the means and media in which the operators/users of the CCTV System interact with the CCTV system (Payette, 2000). The human interface has been identified as one of the major weaknesses of CCTV system (Anderson, 2007). In order for a system to be deemed efficient, it must have the ability to give its user the information he/she wants and at the time he/she wants it. Several properties of the information delivered to the users are accuracy, which specifies that the information relayed must co relate with the ideal situation on the ground. Secondly, the information must be precise which means that the precision level of the information must meet the required standards. Instances of blurred images are discouraged here since they don’t give the user the precision of the image which is viewed on the monitor. Thirdly, the information must be consistent, which means that given the same conditions, the system will output the same kind of images/ information/ data. The following paper will take analyze the human interface element in CCTVs. It will take a focus on the human operators of a CCTV system and their influence on the system. Human interface systems are the avenues with which a user of a system interacts with the system. It is the media in which the user inputs data and consequently receives output on a media which he/she is compatible with. The interface system also provides the user with the chance of analyzing the output data critically so as to come up with the appropriate conclusions. The move from the analogue CCTV systems to the digitals systems has seen an equal and corresponding revolution of human user interfaces. The modern use of the smart CCTV has reduced the extent of the reliability of the system on the user hence making the systems more effective (Pentland, & Choudhury,1999). However, the human aspect in the operation cannot be done away with totally which further stresses on the importance of the human interface in CCTV systems. Human interfaces differ from system to system. The difference is mainly in the technologies which are used in the system. The use of smart technologies in the modern day CCTV systems has really revolutionized the human interface element. For instance, Vista recently unleashed a VKBD4 control keyboard for use in the CCTV control environment (Reading UK, 2011). The main objective of the human interface is to enhance the interaction of the user/operator with the system. Enhancing interaction results to increased efficiency of the CCTV system which is the desire of each and every organization using the system. Therefore the shift from the traditional CCTV to the new smart CCTV is meant to enhance the efficiency of the CCTV systems. The ease of use and the accommodation of many users by a user interface is the main objective to be achieved by a user interface. These are some of the features which are featured in smart CCTV. Their adoption leads to easy navigation of the user in the system. the recording, retrieval and analysis of the data in the information system therefore becomes easy and therefore the efficiency of the general system is enhanced. A key feature which has been used in the design of CCTV systems is the integration of artificial intelligence into the operating systems of the system. This had helped reduce the effect of weakness of human interface associated with CCTV systems (Pentland, & Choudhury,1999). Artificial intelligence reduces the dependency of the system on human interpretation. This means that the system is equipped with the capacity to make certain analysis and computations just like an ideal human would have done in a specific situation and give an analysed output to the user rather than the traditional output of raw data. Therefore, the influence of humans on the efficiency of a CCTV system is great. It affects the kind of conclusions made hence having an impact on the overall efficiency of the system. The following section will look at the role of an operator in a CCTV system. A CCTV system is always accompanied by a systems team. The systems team is responsible for performing all the human tasks associated with the CCTV system. It would make no sense if the information gotten from the CCTV system is not taken into consideration fast since it would mean that the main reason as to why the system was installed in the first place is not achieved. For instance a burglary being shown on the CCTV but there is no one to go and apprehend the culprits. There lie many responsibilities of operators in a CCTV system. Some of them include: One of the major duties of CCTV operators is monitoring the system. Monitoring is done with the aid of the monitor /screens on which live images from the cameras are displayed. There are normally many screens which are mounted on a wall of the control room. The various screens display various images from the different cameras which are located within the area under surveillance. The work of the operator is to ensure that he/she keeps his eyes on the screens and looks for any abnormity in the images displayed (SIA Licence UK, 2011). Abnormity may refer to instances of images of unwanted intrusions into the path of view of the camera, which is the area under surveillance. Some of the examples of abnormity may include burglars, foreign materials in a production line, and instances of shop lifting or any other parameter which is being analysed. In order to be able to monitor the screens effectively, the operator may use features of the system which are integrated in the human interface. The features may include zooming, image dissection and focus. The features are meant to bring out the finite details of the area of view under surveillance. Another role of a CCTV operator is raising alarm/ taking action. It would make no sense to an organization if its CCTV system is effective in detecting any abnormalities but on the other hand it is not able to deal with the abnormality with the seriousness it deserves. For this reason, effective monitoring should go hand in hand with a well planned out plan of action. An action plan is normally comprised of a means of raising an alarm in a manner which will not comprise the organizations chances of countering the intrusion effectively (Security Industrial Authority, 2009). For instance an alarm system must make the burglars aware of that they are being followed rather it should only notify the security men so as to ensure that they are able to capture the burglars in the most convenient manner ever. Any instances of suspicious behavior from the people in the area under surveillance should also be reported so as to ensure that the necessary precautions are taken by the relevant authority. Therefore, the operator must have very good eyesight and a very sharp mind to rule out any instances of abnormal behavior and raise an alarm. In this way, the efficiency of the CCTV system in meeting its objectives is increased. A CCTV operator must also know how to install a CCTV system like the one he/she is using. This will ensure that the operator has the capacity to come up with different ways in which the system can be installed for optimum efficiency for instance the installation of cameras might need to be done by the operator since it him/her who knows the best place to place the camera for optimum use (Singh, 2009). The operator must have the basic knowledge of the various types of cameras and other components of the system to integrate in the system so as to ensure that the efficiency of the system is increased. A system might have the ability to use various human interfaces. For instance the Vista keyboard discussed earlier has the ability to have 16 extensions which means that 16 operators/users can use the system at any one time. For this reason, the operators must be able to install the system, and specifically the specific user interface to use in order to be able to undertake their tasks. Another role of a CCTV operator is maintaining the system. Over the time of a system’s use, the development of problems is due to happen. This is caused by the malfunctioning of some components hence warranting change or the effects of threats to the system which might include malwares and hackers. Depending on the technologies used in various CCTV systems, various problems are due to happen on the course of work. Some of these problems may be so big as to affect the general functioning of system (Arnold, 2010). For this reason, abrupt attention is needed to solve the problem so as not to cause loss to the organization due to lack of surveillance. The best place person to deal with such a problem is the operator. Therefore, an operator must have the ability to diagnose where the problem is, and consequently make a move to repair the damage. However it is sometimes not possible for the operator to repair the system and it is at this point that the organization seeks for professional expertise from CCTV systems solutions contractors. All in all, preventive measures remain the best means of ensuring that the optimum performance of the system is maintained. For this reason, the operator must have the necessary knowledge and technical knowhow of how to do regular checkups on the system’s components. Such checkups may include cleaning of lenses, scanning of databases for malware, management of the database, wiring and lubrication of the moving parts of system. Another role of a CCTV operator is maintaining the Information’s Integrity. The CCTV cameras are used to collect images on specific areas which are under surveillance. The information collected by the system strictly belongs to the organization which has installed the system. Therefore, any sharing of the information by the operator with anyone who is not authorized by the organization breaches the information’s integrity. Some of the information recorded might be confidential to the organization, might need further investigation to unveil hidden facts or might be used against the organization if placed on the wrong hands (Kajalo & Lindblom, 2011). Therefore, maintaining and upholding the information’s integrity is a major responsibility of the operator. This ensures that the organization is able to increase its efficiency due to the surveillance of its confines. Instances of abnormal cases which go unnoticed are viewed better using the CCTV systems which give the organization an opportunity to deal with the occurrences accurately, hence moving towards optimum performance. Therefore, the successful maintenance of information’s integrity by the operator ensures that the organization is able to use the information collected for its own benefit. Another role of a CCTV operator ensuring that the data collected meets the required standards. The data collected in CCTV systems is usually in form of video images. The video images are collected using the various cameras spread over the area under surveillance. The clarity of the images viewed is affected by the setting of the cameras and the resolution of the screens on which the images are being viewed on. The quality of the images viewed should be the highest that the system can produce (Keval & Sasse, 2008). Therefore, the operator must ensure that he/she ensures makes optimum use of the system in order to get the best images for later subsequent use. The recording of the images collected is also the sole responsibility of the system’s operator. The recording of the images should be done professionally so as to ensure that no details of the original data/ images are left out. Care should be taken that new data is not over written of used tapes as this will lead to destruction of previous data. If the data is recorded on a digital system, the same consideration should be made. The storing of the recorded data is very essential as it determines the ease of retrieval of the stored data. Therefore, the operator must devise the correct means of storing the data recorded to ensure easy and fast retrieval of the same when necessary (Keval & Sasse, 2008). The analysis of the images is also the responsibility of the operator. The operator in this case does any manipulations on the data which are needed and subsequently comes up with a conclusive statement on a certain scenario. The manipulations on the images may include dissection of the images, dimensioning of the images, and expansion among others, all of which are meant to ensure that the data collected is analysed correctly. In conclusion, all the different roles of the CCTV systems operator discussed above relate directly with the role of the CCTV system in surveillance. The effective installation of the system, maintenance of the system, upholding of information’s integrity, standardization of output data, monitoring, recording and analyzing the collected data by the system’s operator ensures that the overall efficiency of the CCTV system is achieved. References Arnold, K ,(2010). How Secure Is Your ICT Network? Railway Gazette International, 166(9); 97 Anderson, K(2007). A Risk Based Approach To Supporting The Operator Role In Complex Monitoring Systems, Critical Systems And Software Conference,86 (1); 20-29 Fuentes, L & Velastin S (2009) , Tracking-Based Event Detection For CCTV Systems, Patterns And Applications, 7(4); 356-364 Kajalo, S & Lindblom, A.(2011). Journal of small business and enterprise development, 18(1); 157-169 Keval, H & Sasse, M.(2008). Not Usual Suspects: A Study of Factors Reducing the Effectiveness of CCTV, Security Journal, 1-21 Nicholson, D & Bulkey, A.(2005). Digital CCTV Network Solutions, Plant Engineering, 59(2);75 Payette,J (200). Advanced Human-Computer Interface and Voice Processing Applications in Space, Canadian Space Agency, 3(8); 416-420 Pobierz, (2011) 3 Roles and Responsibilities, Safe, 2(1); 1-3 Pentland, A & Choudhury, T (1999). Personalizing Smart Environments: Face Recognition for Human Interaction, the Media Laboratory Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, 1-9 Reading, UK, (2011) Powerful New Vista Vkbd4 Control Keyboard Now Available, Vista the Professional Choice, Viewed on 24th March http://www.vistacctv.com/news/ref:N4B45CD00B8AC8/ Singh, S (2009). Work Experience of CCTV Surveillance Operators, 1-123 Security Industrial Authority, (2009). Specifications For Learning And Qualifications For CCTV Control Room Operators (PSS). 1-13 TOA Corporation (2005). Closed Circuits Televisions Systems Fundamentals Course, TOA Corporation (Canada), 1-53 SIA Licence UK, (2011) CCTV Operator Duties, Viewed on 24th March < file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/m/Desktop/CCTV/duties-of-a-cctv-operator.html > Wallace, E & Diffley, C(1998). CCTV: Making it Work, Training practices for CCTV Operators,9(98); 1-27 Read More