Do most PTZ cameras provide "tracking" capability?

[DotNetDog 0]

First of all, I'm very much a CCTV newbie... I'm building a new house and I've wired for 5 cameras (1 inside and 4 outside). I was researching PTZ dome cameras and noticed that some can "track" movement. That is, the camera apparently pans and follows the moving target.

 

Is this a common feature for PTZ cameras? Is it a camera feature or a feature of the DVR?

 

Thanks.

[tomcctv 187]

First of all, I'm very much a CCTV newbie... I'm building a new house and I've wired for 5 cameras (1 inside and 4 outside). I was researching PTZ dome cameras and noticed that some can "track" movement. That is, the camera apparently pans and follows the moving target.

 

Is this a common feature for PTZ cameras? Is it a camera feature or a feature of the DVR?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Hi Dot. you can buy a ptz with the feature on but megga money. but you can also buy dvrs with this feature.

if you already have a dvr. then you might think of using sensors to give your ptz an alarm point.

[cglaeser 0]

Depending on the requirement, an alternative is to put the money towards high res fixed cameras. Rather than trying to follow the motion, high res fixed cameras can blanket an area with lots of pixels, and you can use digital PTZ to review the recorded images.

 

Best,

Christopher

[rory 0]

No, most PTZ Cameras do not provide "tracking" capability.

Some rare models do, some you can add separate hardware to the PTZ to do it, and some you can work it inside the DVR software utilizing other methods - eg using a fixed camera, that would track the object and the results it obtains would tell the PTZ where to move and zoom to, such as on Geovision DVRs but with only specific PTZ models.

 

But PTZ Tracking is just something else to go wrong physically.

For the cost of a good PTZ, I mean good, you could probably get a 2MP or even higher Color IP camera. ofcourse dont forget to save on a ton of visible light so the MP camera can see

[DotNetDog 0]

Thanks guys. I didn't know if my front door camera was supposed to "watch" people as the approached. The hi-res idea makes much more sense to me.

Thanks again!

[Soundy 1]

Besides the cost, the big problem with auto-tracking cameras is that they can still only track one object at a time... and without some advanced analytics and lots of time programming them (at even more cost), they have no way to really know which object is more important to track. It could lock onto someone walking past and follow them one way across the scene, while someone else is sneaking in the other direction, out of the camera's view. Or it could switch and lock onto the second person and follow them back the other way, while the first person sneaks in.

[thewireguys 3]

Yea Auto-tracking sounds good on paper but not in the real world.

[teambwa 0]

hi,

 

Yea Auto-tracking sounds good on paper but not in the real world.

may be an example of a new auto-tracking system, that works in the real world:

http://www.mybwa.com/en/discan_ptz.html

 

Regards,

Alexander

[Securame 0]

hi,

 

Yea Auto-tracking sounds good on paper but not in the real world.

may be an example of a new auto-tracking system, that works in the real world:

http://www.mybwa.com/en/discan_ptz.html

 

After watching the video on that link... I have to agree that it might sound good on paper, but if that is an "example that works in the real world", it looks like quite crappy to me.

[cglaeser 0]

may be an example of a new auto-tracking system, that works in the real world:

http://www.mybwa.com/en/discan_ptz.html

 

I was not particularly impressed with the demo. I do think that using wide angle camera to aim a PTZ camera is a very good approach, but I think this implementation needs improvement. The PTZ moved around rapidly and took high res snap shots at any region that had movement, but there was no attempt to seriously try and track the movement. If you want an auto PTZ camera, offerings from companies like IOImage are probably more mature.

 

Best,

Christopher

[rory 0]

hi,

 

may be an example of a new auto-tracking system, that works in the real world:

http://www.mybwa.com/en/discan_ptz.html

 

Regards,

Alexander

 

Wonder how long its motor will last with it doing that 24/7?

[cglaeser 0]

The demos for IOImage are posted at http://www.ioimage.com/?t=Template2&ClusterID=1705&ItemID=3107

 

One of the benefits of the IOImage video analytics solution is it will work with a variety of PTZ cameras, including thermals and other special purpose PTZ cameras. However, these toys are usually for the big boys, and you have to really need it, want it, and pay for it, to make it a better solution that some well-placed high resolution cameras, IMO.

 

Best,

Christopher

 

Note: The IOImage web pages load very slowly.

[cglaeser 0]

Wonder how long its motor will last with it doing that 24/7?

 

Yeah, I wondered that too, but it appears as though the registration is already off a bit. Too bad it can't "learn" to improve registration. Over the next decade, I expect we will see some very impressive auto tracking.

 

Best,

Christopher

[rory 0]

Wonder how long its motor will last with it doing that 24/7?

 

Yeah, I wondered that too, but it appears as though the registration is already off a bit. Too bad it can't "learn" to improve registration. Over the next decade, I expect we will see some very impressive auto tracking.

 

Best,

Christopher

 

Geovisions has had software based PTZ tracking with certain PTZs for a few years now, seen it in action a while back .. I think it was Bosch that had the actual Auto Tracking PTZs .. but still with alot of motion I dont expect either will last that long. Though the software solution with a real cheap PTZ might be kind of worth it incase it has to be chucked. But with MP cameras out now perhaps that is a better way to go, no motor to go bad.

[Securame 0]

Yeah, I wondered that too, but it appears as though the registration is already off a bit. Too bad it can't "learn" to improve registration. Over the next decade, I expect we will see some very impressive auto tracking.

 

I doubt it. It is just easier to have a megapixel camera recording 360º, than having to bother with tracking... Why track, when you can just record everything?

[cglaeser 0]

I doubt it.

 

You doubt what?

 

Best,

Christopher

[thewireguys 3]

I am installing some ioimage ptz and fixed cameras and the auto tracking is very very good when setup correctly.

[SEANHAWG 1]

Cool, can you post some video clips?

[thewireguys 3]

Here is a fixed ioimage handing off to a ioimage ptz camera. Not my install I can't post video

 

[Soundy 1]

Wonder how long its motor will last with it doing that 24/7?

 

Yeah, I wondered that too, but it appears as though the registration is already off a bit. Too bad it can't "learn" to improve registration. Over the next decade, I expect we will see some very impressive auto tracking.

 

Best,

Christopher

As opposed to running a tour or pattern or auto-scan 24/7?

[cglaeser 0]

As opposed to running a tour or pattern or auto-scan 24/7?

 

Point well taken. I guess it was my throbbing head that was taking the beating.

 

Best,

Christopher

[rory 0]

Wonder how long its motor will last with it doing that 24/7?

 

Yeah, I wondered that too, but it appears as though the registration is already off a bit. Too bad it can't "learn" to improve registration. Over the next decade, I expect we will see some very impressive auto tracking.

 

Best,

Christopher

As opposed to running a tour or pattern or auto-scan 24/7?

yeah, did you see the way that camera is moving?

I just cant see the average PTZ lasting too long with all that violent movement.

[teambwa 0]

@Christopher,

 

actually we do not analyze the video field of PTZ dome at all - for video analytic (object recognition and tracking) we use panoramic cameras only. As mentioned in the preliminary product description, this demo video was made by using of our prototype device - not only analytic approach is still under "fine tuning", but all hardware components (PTZ dome, panoramic cameras, lenses etc.) are still under adjustment...

 

I was not particularly impressed with the demo. I do think that using wide angle camera to aim a PTZ camera is a very good approach, but I think this implementation needs improvement. The PTZ moved around rapidly and took high res snap shots at any region that had movement, but there was no attempt to seriously try and track the movement. If you want an auto PTZ camera, offerings from companies like IOImage are probably more mature.

 

Regards,

Alexander

[cglaeser 0]

@Christopher,

 

actually we do not analyze the video field of PTZ dome at all - for video analytic (object recognition and tracking) we use panoramic cameras only. As mentioned in the preliminary product description, this demo video was made by using of our prototype device - not only analytic approach is still under "fine tuning", but all hardware components (PTZ dome, panoramic cameras, lenses etc.) are still under adjustment...

 

Thanks for the follow up. Yes, it's quite apparent from the video that you are using the panoramic cameras for tracking. My apologies if that was not clear in my post. As I mentioned, I think this is a good approach. A single-view PTZ must zoom out periodically to reassess the larger scene, whereas a panorama/PTZ combo can simultaneously view the entire scene and track an object with full zoom. However, it should be possible to track an object using this approach, whereas the demo video has very little tracking, but rather jumps from region to region to take snapshots of regions with movement.

 

I understand this was a demo, and the software and hardware are still being refined. We look forward to additional follow ups as you make improvements. IMO, we are going to see some extremely capable auto PTZ systems over the next decade (e.g scene understanding, threat identification, and higher-level decisions about potential threats, etc), and we look forward to your continued improvements and more demos.

 

Best,

Christopher

[teambwa 0]

@rory

 

Wonder how long its motor will last with it doing that 24/7?

 

yes, it is really a fine question...

this is the main reason, why we drop the idea to support external (third party) PTZ speed-domes.

at the moment it was not already decided for a specific PTZ vendor, but we are testing several "candidates" with MTBF (declared by accordant vendor) between 40'000 and 280'000 hours.

you are welcome to recalculate in days...

 

Regards,

Alexander

 

PS: it looks like a lot of camera motion, but in the meantime our system become more "intelligence" and able to deactivate the PTZ scanning if no any intruders are detected - the speed dome is going to the pre-defined parking position and it is not really 24/7 operation.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Guest