Hanwha Techwin America, a supplier of IP and analog video surveillance solutions, announced an occupancy monitoring system and mask detection analytic for its P series AI cameras. The license-free occupancy monitoring solution uses AI to detect and count people entering and exiting premises from multiple entrances while displaying the current occupancy level for customers and staff. Mask detection analytics detect if masks are worn or worn improperly and send out alerts including customizable audio messages directly from the cameras.

As businesses seek to safely re-open their doors following the easing of COVID-19 related restrictions, Hanwha Techwin is providing businesses and organizations these important tools for free to ensure customer and employee safety.

The Occupancy Monitoring System is a serverless design and runs completely in-camera, on the edge. When the maximum occupancy of an area is reached, the application automatically displays a red ‘Wait’ message along with the number of people currently inside to help customers conform to social distancing policy. When numbers are below the threshold, a green “Welcome” message is displayed. The public-facing display messages are customizable and can include the name of the business in addition to ‘stop’ or ‘go’ indicators. The system can also generate alarm outputs to control automatic doors and traffic beacons for additional control.

Traditionally, people counting solutions have required cameras be mounted overhead which meant the cameras could only be used for counting. With deep learning AI technology, the new P series cameras can be mounted in traditional surveillance positions and provide additional business intelligence for calculating conversion rates based on footfall and purchasing activity.

The system can aggregate and process data from multiple cameras making it ideal for buildings with multiply entry and exit points. The serverless design requires that one camera is designated as master while additional occupancy monitoring cameras are registered with the master to maintain an accurate count. The display can either be driven by a decoder with HDMI output or a small PC displaying a full screen browser in kiosk mode.

“Our latest P series AI cameras bring incredible power to the edge and our occupancy monitoring application is an excellent example,” said Ray Cooke, vice president - products, solutions and integration, Hanwha Techwin America. “By negating the need for a dedicated server, end users can significantly reduce costs and simplify their system while benefiting from the highest accuracy and quality.”

Part of the next firmware release for the P series AI cameras, Face Mask Detection, is a new AI attribute that can detect whether face masks are worn or not. If a person enters an area without a face mask or improperly wearing a face mask, the camera can automatically play back a customized audio message asking them to comply with the policy. It can also trigger an alarm event which can be used to trigger a beacon or access control system. Hanwha Techwin’s Wisenet Wave VMS can receive mask detection alerts making it even easier for operators to verify if there has been an infringement of mask wearing rules. The camera can detect up to 10 masks per second to a maximum distance of 5 meters (16ft) depending on mounting angle.

In addition, a new AI-based face mask application developed by Hanwha Techwin’s technology partner a2 Technology is available for Hanwha’s X series cameras. The application can play a customizable audio message asking people to ‘please wear a mask’ directly from the camera. An alarm out feature can be used to trigger external devices such as a warning beacon. The application can detect and analyze up to four people simultaneously at a distance of five meters (16ft).

The application has been integrated with the Wisenet WAVE 4.0 VMS for operators to verify when someone is not wearing a mask. A web-based interface enables users to also receive alerts on a desktop PC.

“As businesses re-open their doors, it’s never been more important for customers to see and feel that adequate precautions have been implemented to enable a safe experience. This peace of mind is crucial to building and maintaining trust and confidence in our customers’ brands,” concluded Cooke.

Visit www.hanwhasecurity.com for more information.