Thinking and acting cameras: the future of advanced video surveillance
By: Fernando Castro, Channel Sales Executive ACVS at Johnson Controls.
In recent years, there have been significant advances in information technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a fundamental driver in the ongoing digital transformation that is reshaping society.
Machines now have a greater capacity to learn about us and interact with our lives. Whether it’s personalized product suggestions in online stores or applications in corporate and professional environments, machines are increasingly learning everything that surrounds people.
AI in Modern Video Surveillance
AI is evolving at a rapid pace. Within the security industry, its most impactful use case is in video applications.
Video generates enormous volumes of data—far too much for a human to analyze manually. AI enables the extraction and reprocessing of video content to isolate only the relevant footage, delivering major improvements in operational efficiency.
AI-powered video surveillance systems can now handle vast data streams and perform tasks that were previously unthinkable. For instance, today’s advanced systems can recognize images and sounds with remarkable precision, making them ideal for facial recognition and other biometric applications.
Cameras have long been a cornerstone of surveillance systems and are now more prevalent than ever. Solutions such as Johnson Controls’ Illustra, ExacqVision, and American Dynamics CCTV have evolved into intelligent systems capable of analyzing and interpreting visual data in real time—transforming video recordings into proactive tools for monitoring and security.
These intelligent surveillance solutions are intuitive and user-friendly, offering effective protection against theft, vandalism, and other security-related incidents for both businesses and homes.
They can detect threats in real time, automate incident response, analyze large datasets for unusual patterns, and even perform biometric user authentication.
Thanks to AI, today’s systems can track people and objects, perform facial and license plate recognition, identify irregular behaviors, manage suspicious events such as abandoned packages, and instantly alert security personnel—dramatically enhancing response capabilities and surveillance efficiency.
The Evolution of CCTV Systems
Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems have undergone a significant transformation—moving from analog video and magnetic tapes on VCRs to today’s IP cameras and digitally processed NVRs.
This evolution has always centered around the primary goal of CCTV: protection through video surveillance. It began with improvements in resolution, image quality, and frame rates, eventually achieving ultra-high-definition video.
But for modern security needs, high-quality video alone was no longer sufficient.
This led to the demand for camera-based notifications—initially triggered by motion detection.
Expectations grew: users wanted alerts when a perimeter was breached, when an object moved in a specific direction, or when items were abandoned or removed.
These and similar alerts fell under what was then called Video Analytics, although they were in fact early applications of AI in CCTV.
By today’s standards, such features might seem basic, and a camera without them would likely be considered underperforming.
So, how far have we come by continually pushing manufacturers for more intelligent functionality?
The answer lies in the evolution of Illustra cameras by Johnson Controls, where foundational video analytics have advanced into highly refined intelligent capabilities.
We’ve moved far beyond simple perimeter breach alerts. Today, systems can determine whether the intrusion was caused by a person or a vehicle, and even identify specific clothing colors.
Cameras can observe a street and categorize vehicle types—car, bus, motorcycle, bicycle, train, or truck—and further sub-classify them by color.
This allows users, whether monitoring in real time or conducting forensic searches, to pinpoint the exact moment a blue bus traveled in the wrong direction or when a red car parked in a restricted area.
The Benefits of Modern AI
These advancements in data analysis and event notifications have transformed video analytics into true artificial intelligence processes.
With the development of modern hardware and software technologies, much of the intelligence now resides directly at the camera level, offering greater flexibility in monitoring, storage, and system management. This edge processing capability also reduces project costs by minimizing bandwidth and network infrastructure requirements.
There’s no longer a need for monitoring centers to display hundreds of live camera feeds. Instead, fewer cameras are shown on screen, supported by intelligent alerts that rely on advanced analytics.
As a result, operators are no longer distracted by false alarms, which improves focus and response time.
Best of all, the benefits extend beyond time and cost savings. Due to fierce competition among manufacturers, it’s now possible to acquire cameras equipped with full AI processing at the edge, high resolution, superior image quality, and intelligent notifications—delivering real value to end users.
And the best part? Neither individuals nor businesses need to pay a premium for these advanced capabilities.
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