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Video Content Analysis (VCA) is the capability of automatically analyzing video to detect and determine temporal events not based on a single image. As such, it can be seen as the automated equivalent of the biological Visual cortex.

This technical capability is used in a wide range of domains including entertainment^[1], health care, retail, automotive, transport, domotica, safety and security^[2]. The algorithms can be implemented as software on general purpose machines, or as hardware in specialized video processing units.

Many different functionalities can be implemented in VCA. Video Motion Detection is one of the simpler forms where motion is detected with regard to a fixed background scene. More advanced functionalities include video tracking and egomotion estimation.

Based on the internal representation that VCA generates in the machine, it is possible to build other functionalities, such as identification, behavior analysis or other forms of situation awareness.

VCA relies on good input video, so it is often combined with video enhancement technologies such as video denoising, image stabilization, unsharp masking and super-resolution.

Functionalities

This is a list of known functionalities and a short description.

Function	Description
Dynamic Masking	Blocking a part of the video signal based on the signal itself, for example because of privacy concerns.
Egomotion estimation	Egomotion estimation is used to determine the location of a camera by analyzing its output signal.
Motion detection	Motion detection is used to determine the presence of relevant motion in the observed scene.
Object detection	Object detection is used to determine the presence of a type of object or entity, for example a person or car. Other examples include fire and smoke detection.
Recognition	Face recognition and Automatic Number Plate Recognition are used to recognize, and therefor possibly identify persons or cars.
Style detection	Style detection is used in settings where the video signal has been produced, for example for television broadcast. Style detection detects the style of the production process.^[3]
Tamper detection	Tamper detection is used to determine whether the camera or output signal is tampered with.
Video tracking	Video tracking is used to determine the location of persons or objects in the video signal, possibly with regard to an external reference grid.

Commercial applications

VCA is a new technology. New applications are frequently found, however the track record of different types of VCA differs widely. Functionalities such as motion detection and people counting are believed to be available as COTS products with a decent track-record.

In many domains VCA is implemented on CCTV systems, either distributed on the camera's (at-the-edge) or centralized on dedicated processing systems. Video Analytics and Smart CCTV are commercial terms for VCA in the security domain. In the UK the BSIA has developed an introduction guide for VCA in the security domain^[4].

Kinect is an add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 gaming console that uses VCA for part of the user input.^[5]

The quality of VCA in the commercial setting is difficult to determine. It depends on many variables such as use case, implementation, system configuration and computing platform. Typical methods to get an objective idea of the quality in commercial settings include independent benchmarking^[6] and designated test-locations.

Academic Research

Video Content Analysis is a subset of Computer Vision and thereby of Artificial Intelligence. Two major academic benchmark initiatives are TRECVID^[7] and the PETS Benchmark Data^[8]. They focus on functionalities such as tracking, left luggage detection and virtual fencing. Significant academic research into the field is ongoing at the LIVS, University of Calgary, University of Waterloo, University of Kingston, Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and The British Columbia Institute of Technology.

References

^ KINECT, add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console
^ VCA usage increase in British Security, BSIA report
^ Style detection, Cees G.M. Snoek et al., Detection of TV news monologues by style analysis, ICME'04
^ British Industry VCA Guide, 262 An Introduction to Video Content Analysis Industry Guide
^ "Project Natal 101". Microsoft. 2009-06-01. Archived from the original on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
^ i-Lids, Benchmarking initiative by the UK Home Office
^ TRECVID, Academic benchmark initiative by NIST
^ PETS Benchmark Data, Performance Evaluation of Tracking and Surveillance (PETS) by University of Reading

External links

ipvideomarket.info: Commercial news outlet
Demystifying video analytics - is "intelligent" now a dirty word?: Criteria to determine intelligence of video analytics solutions by Edward Troha, Director of Marketing for ObjectVideo
Video Analytics: Understanding their limitations by Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision
Video analytics: the new magic solution? by Jeremy Kimber, Honeywell's EMEA Marketing Leader

[KINECT-1] KINECT, add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console

[VCA_in_Security-2] VCA usage increase in British Security, BSIA report

[Style_detection-3] Style detection, Cees G.M. Snoek et al., Detection of TV news monologues by style analysis, ICME'04

[BSIA-4] British Industry VCA Guide, 262 An Introduction to Video Content Analysis Industry Guide

[Natal_101-5] "Project Natal 101". Microsoft. 2009-06-01. Archived from the original on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-02.

[i-Lids-6] -Lids, Benchmarking initiative by the UK Home Office

[TRECVID-7] TRECVID, Academic benchmark initiative by NIST

[PETS_Benchmark_Data-8] PETS Benchmark Data, Performance Evaluation of Tracking and Surveillance (PETS) by University of Reading

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-Video Content Analysis (VCA) is the capability of analyzing [[video]] to detect and determine temporal events not based on a single [[image]]. It is used in a wide range of domains including [[entertainment]]<ref name="KINECT">[http://www.xbox.com/en-us/kinect KINECT], add-on peripheral for the [[Xbox 360]] console</ref>, [[health care]], [[retail]], [[automotive]], [[transport]], [[domotica]], [[safety]] and [[security]]<ref name="VCA in Security">[http://www.bsia.co.uk/aboutbsia/cctv/O5E926740891 VCA usage increase in British Security], [[BSIA]] report</ref>. The [[algorithm]]s can be implemented as software on general purpose machines, or as hardware in specialized video processing units.
+Video Content Analysis (VCA) is the capability of automatically analyzing [[video]] to detect and determine temporal events not based on a single [[image]]. As such, it can be seen as the automated equivalent of the biological [[Visual cortex]].
+This technical capability is used in a wide range of domains including [[entertainment]]<ref name="KINECT">[http://www.xbox.com/en-us/kinect KINECT], add-on peripheral for the [[Xbox 360]] console</ref>, [[health care]], [[retail]], [[automotive]], [[transport]], [[domotica]], [[safety]] and [[security]]<ref name="VCA in Security">[http://www.bsia.co.uk/aboutbsia/cctv/O5E926740891 VCA usage increase in British Security], [[BSIA]] report</ref>. The [[algorithm]]s can be implemented as software on general purpose machines, or as hardware in specialized video processing units.
 Many different functionalities can be implemented in VCA. Video Motion Detection is one of the simpler forms where motion is detected with regard to a fixed background scene. More advanced functionalities include [[video tracking]] and [[egomotion]] estimation.