There’s much to like about
360-degree fisheye cameras.
Their ability to capture images that
could be missed by a traditional fixed camera or even a pan-tilt-zoom only
model makes them critical for security
applications where sweeping views are required. For example, 360-cameras
excel within settings like an open concept retail store where a single camera
can be observing all directions at the same time. The cameras have also proven
useful beyond the retail setting in college lecture halls, casinos, office
lobbies, hallway intersections and enclosed parking garages, to note a few.
Fisheyes are also touted for
their wide dynamic range, as well as savings on bandwidth and storage
usage while still capturing full resolution images.
The image produced isn’t a typical,
flat one, but rather is round and distorted, the result of capturing an
ultra-wide field of view. To make the images usable, they need to be
flattened out, or dewarped. In most cases, the dewarping process takes place at
the client, such as the NVR, PC, or server depending on where the client
software that handles the dewarping of the images resides
.
A few manufacturers
offer cameras that can natively dewarp the images. Thus, the video can be
viewed in the more traditional format, but with the benefit of getting all the
detail that a 360-degree view provides. Having the camera perform the dewarping
process relieves the burden and reliance for this action from the recorder
and client, bypassing the step of having to dewarp the recorded view
separately.
In dewarped or flattened images,
security personnel can hone in on details that are important to the situation,
while also having the option of looking at the larger picture. If you think
about a 360-degree image as four quadrants — north, south, east and west —
consider that when an event occurs, you have the option of retrieving an image
that shows action in the north quadrant only, where you believe the suspect
activity occurred. There may be something that took place elsewhere that
you now want to check out, and so you can playback images that capture activity
in the south, east and west quadrants as well. For this reason, fisheye
cameras are a cost savings as they can take the place of four cameras
when placed at the intersection of hallways.
Having quick access to a normalized
view of a situation, especially when an event is occurring, makes dewarping at
the camera level a convenient tool for seeing everything the video has to offer.
To learn more contact MCC’s Security
Solutions Division today!
For more details please contact us at:
Memphis Communications Corporation
4771 Summer Ave
Memphis, TN 38122
Tel: 901.725.9271
Fax: 901.272.3577
Toll Free: 866.805.5893
Service and Supplies: 901.257.2500
Website: http://www.memphiscommunications.net
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