SBIR Phase I: Intelligent Cameras for Crime Fighting

这份小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目建议书描述了下一代安全摄像头。这些摄像头将在当前技术的基础上提供两个改进。首先，“智能摄像机”将提供比现在的安全摄像机更高分辨率的人的视场图像。有了今天的安全摄像头，安全摄像头捕捉到的嫌疑人图像很容易只有少量像素实际对准了这个人。这可能不足以在法庭上辨认身份或提供无可辩驳的证据。这款智能相机将捕捉到分辨率高得多的图像。根据初步计算，在典型情况下，需要数千个装有长焦镜头的固定摄像机才能可靠地捕捉到与单个智能摄像机捕捉到的相同分辨率的嫌疑人图像。相对于目前安全摄像机的第二个改进是，这种类型的摄像机捕捉到高精度三维信息的图像。当人进入银行、政府大楼等时，如果摄像机安装在距离人两米的地方，人脸数据，包括人脸每个特征的深度信息，将以大约0.4毫米的精度被捕获。准确测量一个人面部的三维图像可能会被证明几乎和指纹一样独特。当被拍摄者走进一栋建筑，甚至走在街道上时，可以明显地捕捉到“脸部指纹”。由于三维图像实际上包含了一个全新的数据维度，所以图像应该能够更快、更可靠地进行比较。人们进入火车站或汽车站等主要设施的图像可以自动实时与头号通缉名单或最近犯罪嫌疑人进行匹配。俄克拉荷马城联邦大楼爆炸事件使人们的注意力集中在加强安全的必要性上。更好的安全摄像头，以及自动识别和逮捕罪犯的手段，应该会大大威慑潜在的罪犯。对于那些没有被吓倒的人，该系统将提供下一代识别和逮捕工具。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposal describes the next generation of security cameras. These cameras will provide two improvements over current technology. First, the `Smart Camera` will provide much higher resolution images of person's in its field of view than is possible with today's security cameras. With today's security cameras, a suspect's image captured by a security camera could easily have only a small number of pixels actually focused on the person. This may not be enough for identification or for irrefutable evidence in court. The `Smart Camera` will capture a much higher resolution image. Based on initial computations, for typical situations, thousands of fixed cameras with telephoto lenses would be required to reliably capture the same resolution image of a suspect as would be captured by a single `Smart Camera.` The second improvement over current security cameras is that this type of camera captures images with high precision 3 dimensional information. If the camera were mounted two meters from a person as the person entered a bank, Government building, etc., the face data, including depth information across every feature of the face, would be captured with an accuracy of approximately .4 mm. Accurately measured three dimensional images of a person's face may prove to be nearly as unique as a fingerprint. `Faceprints` could be captured visibly as a subject walks into a building or even walks along a street. Since 3 dimensional images contain literally an entirely new dimension of data, images should be able to be compared more quickly and reliably. Images of people entering major facilities such as train or bus stations could be automatically matched in real-time against most wanted lists, or suspects in recent crimes. The bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City has focused attention on the need for increased security. Potential criminals should be significantly deterred by better security cameras, and by automatic means to identify and apprehend criminals. For those that are not deterred, the system will provide a next generation of tools for identification and apprehension.