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Surveillance

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SPY GEAR

Spy vs spy – wireless camera detector lets you sleep easy or play hard (in privacy)

By Jeff Salton

23:25 November 23, 2009 PST

The Chinavision CMVM-J19 spy camera and Wi-Fi detector

If you don’t trust that shifty-looking night supervisor at the motel or the suspicious-looking smoke detector in your room, or if you just value your privacy, help could be at hand. A quick scan of your room or surrounds with the Chinavision CVMV-J19 Spy Wi-Fi Signal and Camera Lens Detector should let you sleep easy or play hard – in privacy (I guarantee there are a few celebrities who wish they had one). Read More

CAMERAS AND IMAGING

JVC's Super LoLux analog CCTV cameras let you see in the dark

By Alan Brandon

20:46 November 18, 2009 PST

The JVC TK-C2201E compact fixed dome camera

JVC has announced four new analog high-res CCTV cameras that it claims can produce accurate colors under extremely low light conditions. The new surveillance cams feature the company’s Super LoLux technology for sensitivity as low as 0.05 lux in color mode and 0.006 lux in black-and-white mode. JVC also claims these models use 40% less power making them more eco-friendly and cheaper to operate. Read More

RESEARCH WATCH

Software to detect objects inside videos

By Jeff Salton

23:57 November 3, 2009 PST

Researchers hope that their software will be able to detect certain objects or people (inc...

Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) are developing software that would enable computers to perform video analysis tasks, such as alerting emergency services if a video surveillance camera detects a person falling and not getting up. The software could also be used to search inside videos and look for certain objects, such as basketballs or footballs, hence reducing the time taken to locate a certain game or scene. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Spiraling maple tree seeds inspire world's smallest single-winged rotocraft

By Jeff Salton

18:08 October 21, 2009 PDT

The smallest monocopter built by Ulrich to-date, with a maximum dimension of 95mm and a wi...

Students at the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering have turned to nature to create a flying device that can hover and perform surveillance duties, and that could lead to applications for military and emergency services. The enigmatic maple tree seeds (or samara fruit) - and the unique spiraling pattern with which they glide to the ground - have intrigued children and engineers for decades. Now aerospace engineering graduate students have applied the seeds’ design to airborne devices and created what they believe to be the world's smallest controllable single-winged rotocraft. Read More

ROBOTICS

Household robots – a burglar's man on the inside?

By Darren Quick

19:34 October 11, 2009 PDT

Household robots like the WowWee Rovio, Erector Spykee and RoboSapien V2 could pose a secu...

Until robots rise up and overthrow their puny human creators, one of the main risks comes from the people using the robots. A new study warns that the current crop of household robots presents a serious safety and privacy risk. They make it all too easy for nefarious types to hijack control of the robots and access valuable data - even giving them the ability to watch and listen in on private conversations, and perform remote reconnaissance on a house. Read More

CAMERAS AND IMAGING

Smarter CCTV system to be used to recognize and prevent crime

By Jeff Salton

07:34 September 29, 2009 PDT

Researchers in the UK hope to deploy a smarter CCTV system that helps to actively prevent ...

The negative impact surrounding terrorism, crime and anti-social behavior has resulted in an escalation in the amount of remote surveillance undertaken around the world, but especially in the UK, which, according to the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), has deployed more than 4 million CCTV cameras. Putting aside privacy issues for another article, the increase in CCTV usage has had very little success in preventing crime. The main problem seems to lie in the amount of video captured versus the amount that can be viewed and interpreted by trained staff. To overcome these shortcomings, UK researchers are investigating the use of computer technology that recognizes suspicious behavior in live Internet-enabled CCTV feeds from buses and trains, allowing control room staff to intervene and protect drivers and passengers from assaults, thefts and other incidents. Read More

CAMERAS AND IMAGING

OceanoCam can record hi-def videos of the ocean depths on a budget

By Dario Borghino

14:54 September 20, 2009 PDT

The OceanCam is an affordable solution to record high definition videos of the ocean depth...

It's often said that we know more about the depths of the Universe than the ocean floors of our own planet, but this might soon change with OceanoCam, a newly-developed cheap underwater camera for capturing high-definition video at great depths, aimed at both research community and the entertainment industry. Read More

CAMERAS AND IMAGING

Canon VB-C500VD vandal resistant mini dome network camera has you covered

By Jeff Salton

21:30 September 15, 2009 PDT

The Canon VB-C500VD vandal resistant mini dome network camera

Unfortunately for society today, there is an increasing need for quality surveillance - it’s almost mandatory that businesses incorporate security into their list of ‘must haves’. Canon’s new VB-C500VD vandal-resistant mini dome network camera is suited to a wide variety of applications where discreet high quality surveillance over a network is needed, and its wide angle lens means it’s ideal for positioning in tight places, like around ATMs, schools, lobbies, and shopping malls. If set to motion-activation mode, this PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) camera can send emails or cell phone messages instantly, and being a PoE (power over Ethernet) device, it uses a single LAN cable to power the camera and transfer video and audio data when connected to a PoE switch, saving on installation costs. Read More

AERO GIZMO

New class of UAVs look more like UFOs

By Darren Quick

21:41 September 14, 2009 PDT

An AESIR UAV takes flight

Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) employ a fixed wing design much like that of a traditional plane. But these designs offer limited maneuverability and payload capacity, require a runway to takeoff and land, and are unable to hover. Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs get around these problems, usually by employing rotors like a helicopter. Now UK-based company AESIR has developed a VTOL UAV that has no external rotating parts, instead relying on a phenomenon known as the Coanda effect to generate lift. Read More

ROBOTICS

iRobot Warrior 700 designed to deliver... more robots

By Alan Brandon

22:14 August 26, 2009 PDT

The iRobot Warrior 700 provides a versatile accessory platform

The new iRobot Warrior 700 robot looks like the (much) bigger brother of the company’s PackBot. In fact the Warrior is a much larger, more powerful platform designed to deliver, well, PackBots (among other missions). The Warrior 700 can carry a PackBot at the end of an articulated arm, and insert the it through a window for reconnaissance, explosive ordnance disposal, rescue, or other missions. Read More

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

PrimeSense paints future of home-tech interaction

By Paul Lester

19:21 August 17, 2009 PDT

A revolutionary new way to interact with technology in the home?

Nintendo certainly created a stir when it introduced motion-sensing controls to the video game industry, but subsequent developments that are no more than a year or two from fruition are already threatening to confine this relatively new technology to the proverbial scrap-heap. The latest of these is PrimeSense, a 3D camera that allows devices like televisions to ‘see a view of the surrounding area’ by scanning a room to determine who is present through a combination of shape recognition and thermal imaging. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Boeing to market S-100 Camcopter

By Jeff Salton

18:06 August 12, 2009 PDT

The S-100 Camcopter is to be added to Boeing's fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles

Expect to see more S-100 Camcopters taking to the skies following the announcement that Boeing and Austrian company Schiebel Industries (the S-100’s manufacturer) have joined forces to market and support the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The S-100 is an remote-controlled helicopter that can carry a wide variety of payloads, including a stabilized video system for surveillance and reconnaissance, and is well-suited to military and civilian applications. Read More

AERO GIZMO

P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane officially unveiled

By Gizmag Team

05:40 August 5, 2009 PDT

P-8A Poseidon formally unveiled (Boeing photo by Jim Anderson)

The U.S. Navy's new long-range maritime surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft has been officially unveiled at the Boeing facility in Renton, Washington. The P-8A Poseidon will provide anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities and offers greater payload capacity and advanced software and communications over the P-3C Orion which it is scheduled to replace from 2013. Read More

ROBOTICS

Metal muscles drive ‘robo-bat’ Micro Aerial Vehicle

By Darren Quick

22:05 July 9, 2009 PDT

The ‘robo-bat’ skeleton (Photo: Gheorghe Bunget, North Carolina State Universi...

Researchers are increasingly looking to nature for design inspiration in a wide range of mechanical devices. Doing so allows them to draw on the millions of years of evolution that have resulted in designs offering superior performance and efficiency. Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) is one field that has recognized the maneuverability and performance virtue of nature’s small flyers, with various attempts being made to mimic these designs and produce vehicles that outperform traditional fixed-wing or rotary-wing craft. We’ve seen the development of a tiny a ‘nano air vehicle’ inspired by the hummingbird, a UAV based on a Pterodactyl and a six-inch long robotic spy plane that, like this new design from North Carolina University, draws on the physical characteristics of a bat. Read More

ELECTRONICS

CATSi - the world's smallest GPS, GSM and RF tracking device

By Darren Quick

01:46 June 24, 2009 PDT

The CATSi GPS, GSM and RF tracking device

The CATSi, (pronounced cat's eye), is designed to track almost anything, from pets and people through to cars, trucks and motorbikes. Although we’ve seen plently of GPS trackers before, CATS-i is touting the its new product as the world’s smallest, thinnest and most covert GPS, GSM and RF tracking device ever. This means the device can be used in products that have previously been inaccessible to GPS tracking - little Jimmy should have a hard time detecting a CATSi sewn into his jacket for example. Read More

CAMERAS AND IMAGING

Cisco PVC300 Internet camera brings Big Brother to small companies

By Alan Brandon

17:06 June 11, 2009 PDT

Cisco's PVC300 Pan Tilt Optical Zoom Internet Camera provides real-time video monitoring f...

Cisco’s new PVC300 Pan Tilt Optical Zoom Internet Camera provides a suite of surveillance features aimed at small companies who want to keep a watchful eye on their employees and business property. Designed to operate on existing wired networks, the PVC300 provides two-way audio, motion activated recording, automatic alerts and full-motion live video that can be viewed from virtually anywhere on an Internet-enabled PC or mobile phone. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Horizon releases drop-in fuel cell system for unmanned aircraft

By Michael Mulcahy

03:37 June 9, 2009 PDT

Aeropak fuel cell provides four times the power of advanced lithium batteries

Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies latest hydrogen fuel cell release is designed as a drop-in replacement for battery packs used in small electric Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Weighing 4.4lbs (2kg) and storing 900Wh of usable electric energy, the Aeropak can to increase flight endurance by up to 300% over lithium batteries, meaning longer range missions and more energy to run on-board cameras and sensors. Read More

MILITARY

The soldier helmet that pinpoints enemy snipers

By David Greig

00:28 April 30, 2009 PDT

Akos Ledeczi holds a kevlar helmet with the microphones and network node attached that can...

Imagine being able to pinpoint an enemy shooter in difficult terrain with such deadly accuracy that you can see whether they are kneeling or standing and not only what kind of weapon they are firing but the caliber too. Well, engineers at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Software Integrated Systems (ISIS) have developed such a system by turning soldiers' combat helmets into "smart nodes" in a wireless sensor network. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Boeing P-8A Poseidon lifts-off

By Noel McKeegan

03:35 April 28, 2009 PDT

Boeing P-8A Poseidon 1st Flight (Photo Credit: Jim Anderson)

Boeing's P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine and long-range surveillance aircraft has completed its first flight. In the latest development milestone for the plane scheduled to replace the P-3 Orion, the T-1 test aircraft completed a series of systems checks during three hours and 31 minutes in the skies above Seattle on April 25. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Cuman personal tracking devices for persons, pets or products

By Darren Quick

00:09 April 14, 2009 PDT

The CP-100G patch-type tracking device from Cuman

While Orwell’s 1984 suggested that human surveillance and tracking would be an integral part of a dystopian future, the reality looks to be quite different, with people quickly embracing GPS technology and the myriad of uses such technology provides. The last few years has seen a range of tracking devices that use GPS to keep track of everything from products and pets to loved ones. The latest player to enter the field is South Korea electronics company Cuman with its range of tracking devices, which picked up the Editor’s List Award recently at CeBIT 2009. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Raven UAV demonstrates 30-hour persistent surveillance

By Noel McKeegan

06:35 April 2, 2009 PDT

Raven UAV

AeroVironment's Raven UAV system has been used to demonstrate the viability of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as a low-cost surveillance alternative in a continuous 30-hour persistent surveillance test flight. Conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army Product Manager for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), the demonstration involved unbroken surveillance of a target site using one standard production Raven RQ-11B baseline system (three aircraft and two ground control stations) operated by two-person crews working in eight-hour shifts. Read More

WEARABLE ELECTRONICS

Taser AXON wearable surveillance kit – to protect, serve and record

By Darren Quick

22:33 March 24, 2009 PDT

The AXOM's HeadCam

Dashboard cameras mounted on police vehicles have proven their worth in backing up courtroom testimony by providing a video record of incidents – as well as giving reality cop shows a veritable wealth of real life footage. Now a new product from Taser International, the company responsible for the electroshock weapon that bears that name, takes the idea one step further by capturing video and audio of incidents from the visual perspective of the responding officer. Read More

GOOD THINKING

The anti-mirror... and more

By Darren Quick

22:24 March 2, 2009 PST

The non-reversing mirror.
 Photo Credit: Andrew Hicks

You could be forgiven for thinking Andrew Hicks is obsessed with his own reflection, but it’s the mirror itself which attracts the interest of this mathematician from Drexel University, Philadelphia. Hicks has used computer algorithms to generate a mirror that produces a mirror image that isn’t a mirror image, making it possible to read reflected text normally. Read More

SPY GEAR

LightSpeed binoculars transmit sound and video

By Kyle Sherer

15:38 December 22, 2008 PST

LightSpeed Binoculars

December 22, 2008 Torrey Pines Logic has designed an optical system that allows people to speak to the person they’re looking at. The LightSpeed uses infrared LEDs to transmit the wearer’s voice via a secure optical beam to another LightSpeed model. The data channel used by the binoculars can accommodate Ethernet, video streaming and multi-channel audio data, and the devices transmit data at 1Mpbs, at distances exceeding 5km. Read More

ROBOTICS

Robo-Bat: mini spy-plane of the future?

By Noel McKeegan

21:44 November 6, 2008 PST

Six-inch bat spy
 Photo Credit: Eric Maslowsk

Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) undoubtedly have the potential to revolutionize both military and civilian surveillance operations, and the quest to find the most efficient design for these airborne spies of the future is leading to all kinds of radical platforms being investigated. Several are derived from nature, where evolution has produced designs that out-strip the performance and efficiency of humanity's aerial achievements on a proportional scale. Even extinct examples like the pterodactyl are not immune from this scrutiny, but in this case, the inspiration comes from the only mammal naturally capable of flight - the bat. Read More

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