What is Video Analytics?

Azena's mission is to redefine Video Analytics. But what does “Video Analytics” mean, and how can this technology help make businesses better? Learn more in this article.

Author: Andy Penfold

Nov 24, 2022 9:39:13 AM

6 min read

Since (Big) Data is considered a key business driver in almost all industries, the term “analytics” has been on everyone's lips - defined as the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. Referring to video information, experts refer to Video Analytics.

Algorithms and Machine Learning take Video Analytics to the next level, for example, by automating data analysis and continuous learning and self-improvement. To emphasize that Azena uses the latest and most innovative technologies to empower CCTV cameras, we call it “AI Video Analytics.”

AI Video Analytics - a brief definition:

AI video analytics is a game-changing technology that enables (edge) devices to analyze video footage and recognize temporal and spatial events automatically.

This is where smart algorithms and machine learning come into play, for example, to recognize humans and objects and interpret their behavior. AI Video Analytics installed in surveillance cameras is mainly used for real-time indoor and outdoor monitoring, providing new automation opportunities.

Worth reading: AI + IoT = AIoT: What's in it for next-generation video surveillance?

Turning video cameras into business all-rounders:

The good news is that any video camera equipped with AI video analytics apps can deliver much more than raw video data, namely valuable insights, enabling decision-makers to make data-driven decisions more efficiently than ever.

Where AI Video Analytics provides CCTV cameras with new powerful capabilities:

Application areas	Browse Azena Application Store
Retail: Monitor shelves, analyze footfall, reduce queues and waiting times at checkouts	Retail apps
Energy: Detect leaks in tanks and pipelines, monitor flaring, supervise unmanned sites	Energy apps
Hospitals: Track assets, monitor sterile processing, comply with hygiene standards	Hospital apps
Railway & Metro: Monitor platforms, detect congestions, record vehicle occupancy	Railway & Metro apps
Traffic & Parking: Detect violations, analyze traffic over time, smart parking management	Traffic & Parking apps
Public Building: Manage access, monitor non-public areas, control lighting and heating	Public Building apps
Stadiums: Manage traffic and congestion, detect violence, smart parking management	Stadium apps
Warehousing: Smart access management, Monitor safety areas, detect accidents	Warehousing apps
Manufacturing: PPE inspection, detect smoke and fire, optical monitoring of production quality	Manufacturing apps

To name just a few of the almost limitless number of applications. In the Azena Application Store you will find a wide range of inspiring ways to add new functions to your cameras.

Example: Automated shelf monitoring in retail

Retailers rely on employees to monitor shelf stock levels throughout the day. Fast-moving consumer goods just fly off the shelves. By monitoring stock at a shelf level and providing notifications, out-of-stock monitoring removes all the guesswork from the restocking process.

AI shelf monitoring

Source: UAB Agmis - Learn more about “Shelf monitoring” in the Azena Application Store

AI video analytics for shelf monitoring continuously tracks the actual state of inventory and determines the delta to the desired state in real time. If empty compartments or reduced stocks are detected, the camera system can automatically notify the staff.

Worth reading: Applications for security cameras: It's time for a revolution

Let cameras see what the human eye cannot see

Some may object that many operational monitoring tasks mentioned above can still be performed by humans. So why replace the human eye with AI Video Analytics sensors?

The answer is simple: AI Video Analytics reveals its full strengths especially in areas where humans reach their limits, e.g. when it comes to reliably and continuously monitoring complex environments. Some areas humans can't inspect at all, but cameras can.

Example: Thermal cameras look into tanks to monitor fill levels

Tank level monitoring uses thermal imaging to provide real-time level scans of tanks containing various types of liquids, provided they are at a different temperature than their surroundings. This helps to avoid overfilling or underfilling in an automated way.

Thermal Tank Level Monitor

Source: Noema - Learn more about the App “Thermal Tank Level Monitor”

Enable reliable monitoring over time

Another superpower of AI Video Analytics-empowered camera systems is their ability to observe and analyze environments over time, for example, to identify the causes of congestion or accidents in road traffic and to take appropriate measures in planning.

Example: Smart video cameras provide valuable insights for data-driven traffic planning

Traffic IA analytics

Source: GoodVision - - Learn more about the App “GoodVision Connect”

Azena brings turnkey AI video analytics to CCTV cameras

Azena offers everything you need to quickly and easily start with AI-powered video surveillance and monitoring automation: OS and Application Store for CCTV cameras. The choice is yours, use Azena-enabled cameras from major manufacturers or simply retrofit your existing cameras with our AI Box.

Worth reading: 6 steps to integrate Azena-enabled cameras.

Once installed and connected, you can equip the cameras with all the AI capabilities from our Application Store that you need to make operations more efficient and secure.

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