Why Gartner named Internet of Behavior as the next big step for AI

Internet of Behavior is here to stay

In many industries worldwide, employees who returned to work after spending months in home offices during the COVID pandemic noticed some changes at work. Sensors or RFID tags are used to detect whether employees were washing their hands regularly. Computer vision monitors whether employees comply with mandatory masking at work. Behavioral data are collected and analyzed by organizations to understand employee behavior.

The collection and use of data to analyze and guide human behavior is referred to as the Internet of Behavior (IoB). As companies and authorities extend not only the amount of data they gather, but also the way they merge and analyze data from different sources, the IoB will increasingly shape the way organizations interact with humans, predicts Gartner, the world’s leading research and advisory company. 

By 2023, individual activities will be tracked digitally by an “Internet of Behavior” to influence benefit and service eligibility for 40% of people worldwide. - Gartner 

IoB is one of Gartner's nine strategic technology trends that enable the agility that resilient organizations need in the face of significant upheaval driven by COVID-19 and the current economic state of the world. With the rise of smart technologies that collect the "digital dust" of daily life, this information can be used to analyze and better respond to human behavior in business and personal life.

Find more on Gartner Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2021 here.

What does the rise of IoB mean for our business and private lives? How can organizations benefit from it today? At Azena we pave the way for a fast and lean start into this exciting technology trend!

Smart cameras drive the Internet of Behavior

We aim to get video technology you find in today's surveillance cameras ready for the Internet of Behavior. Using our open platform for CCTV cameras, video devices can be easily equipped with the latest AI video analytics applications from our Application Store, even without any in-depth technology know-how.

Internet of Behavior using AI video analytics transforms ordinary CCTV cameras into multipurpose devices in IoT, designed to help monitor and understand human behavior in all areas of business and private life and provide valuable insights to take security and operations to the next level.

Similar to apps for smartphones, specific applications for analyzing human behavior and recognizing behavior patterns can be added to make video surveillance smarter. In our Application Store, you find a variety of camera apps that demonstrate where the IoB journey goes. Here are some examples for behavioral analytics applications that can be installed and combined easily in CCTV cameras running our operating system.

Retail: Analyze consumer behavior to improve shopping experience

In-store shopping experiences are the results of continuous optimization and adaptation to the changing customer demands. This requires continuous monitoring and analysis of customer behavior. Which paths do customers take on the sales floor? How do they react to sales promotions? Do operations at checkouts run smoothly?

Retail cameras equipped with AI video analytics from our Application Store help to gain valuable insights into customer behavior and operations - in real-time, for example, to avoid queues at checkouts or gaps in shelves, and over time, for example, to identify “dead” areas where customers rarely spend time. Smart cameras not only deliver raw video data but also analyze it on the devices (edge computing) and deliver results that are visually processed.

Example: Detect and predict waiting times at checkouts

Source: Link Retail

The Internet of Behavior, based on smart video technology, can help identify and sustainably eliminate customer experience killers such as waiting times at checkout, empty shelves, and long walks due to weak retail floor layouts and poor retail operations.

Learn more about how CCTV cameras equipped with AI video technology for behavioral analytics can help retailers improve security and operations in our whitepaper.

Transportation: Monitor operations and increase passenger safety

Similar to retail, it is also critical in public transport that operations run smoothly to ensure the best possible passenger experience and safety. This is not easy to achieve for human operators, especially at peak times in large cluttered spaces. Not all passengers comply with the rules, as accidents on tracks, abuse of alcohol and vandalism, unfortunately, prove too often. Conventional video surveillance reaches its limits here.

The next generation of smart video surveillance unleashed by Azena is designed to help make public transportation safer and more enjoyable for everyone involved. Our vision is that smart cameras will observe and analyze human behavior, not to spy on people, but to detect and react to anomalies and threats faster and more reliably.

Example: Observe platforms and detect prohibited trespassing on tracks

Source: Aitek S.p.A.

Connected to other security systems, smart cameras can help automate processes, e.g. automatically triggering alarms, notifying staff, or activating information systems.

Public spaces: Detect behavioral anomalies and critical incidents early

The challenge and limits of today's human-assisted video surveillance is in keeping a reliable eye on complex situations at all times. This is particularly evident in public spaces where, for example, large crowds need to be observed or where visibility conditions are not always ideal, depending on daytime and weather conditions. 

Conventional video surveillance can hardly be fully automated and is always dependent on human operators evaluating video information and taking appropriate action when necessary. Video technology equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning can add much more value here by making surveillance more reliable and efficient through automation.

Example: Recognize and recover people fallen due to illness, alcohol or crime

Source: HTC Corporation

Similar to humans, the characteristics and behavior of objects can also be analyzed using AI video analytics. Smart cameras in train stations and airports, for example, can detect suspicious objects such as abandoned luggage not moved for a longer period of time and not assigned to any person to initiate appropriate action. In traffic management, AI cameras enable continuous monitoring of vehicles, e.g., to detect and address congestion and breakdowns on highways. Behavior video analytics is thus not limited to human behavior.

More AI video analytics apps for cameras that you can find in our Application Store

• Loitering: detect odd behavior of people lingering around certain areas for a long period of time
• Emotions: analyze facial emotions to detect joy, frustration, or anger, e.g. to measure customer satisfaction at retail
• Occupancy: measure number of people in one place, e.g., to detect and predict the formation of crowds and congestion.
• Intrusion: recognize people who intentionally or accidentally enter restricted areas
• Safety: detect personal protective equipment, protective helmets and hi-vis vests

Start the IoB revolution in your organization now! Browse our Application Store to find the apps you need to turn your security cameras into multipurpose devices in the IoB!