Audio Analytics – Salient Features and Advantages

Intelligent audio analytics is a technology which alerts the security personnel of abnormal activities exceeding the user-defined decibel levels. It detects anomalies by analysing audio information and is designed to prevent accidental or intentional actions and to minimise damage through immediate response.

Our previous blog elaborated audio analytics and sound detection software. Audio analytics technology has numerous specifications apart from Audio Detection, which includes Noise Reduction, Audio Source Classification, Messages and Events.

Salient features

The potential number of catalogued sounds in an analytics library could be nearly infinite. The processing capacity of the camera limits the detection of all the decibel and frequency combinations. From the security standpoint, the software is programmed to listen for some of the most common sound signatures, including aggression, car alarms, gunshots, and breaking glass.

• Aggression Detection

The audio analytics software listens for sound patterns associated with threats, anger or fear. When the aggression detection technology recognises them, it automatically triggers an alarm or streams real-time video footage to the control room or a mobile device. With early warning, personnel can prevent verbal aggression from turning into an assault.

• Car Alarm Detection

The software is programmed to listen to specific sound patterns produced by standard car alarm systems in the market. The audio analytics software can detect sound patterns in a sizeable radius around the camera, making the application useful in parking lots. The real-time alerts with location information help the personnel to avoid incidents, theft or vandalism.

• Gunshot Detection

The analytics software identifies the sound of gunfire from a variety of firearms: handguns, shotguns, rifles and automatic weapons. The software detects the weapon being discharged and triggers an alert to the security personnel who can quickly respond to the incident after verifying through the video camera.

• Breaking Glass Detection

The analytics tool recognises the sound of breaking glass whether the pane is laminated, tempered or wired. After detection, the software sends an alert to security to investigate the breach. Employing audio analytics also saves the expense of installing motion sensors on windows.

Key advantages of audio analytics

Embedding audio analytics on edge devices such as network cameras, network door stations, network speakers and network audio bridges offers several benefits.

• Audio processing takes place inside the equipment, eliminating the need for a central server.
• Video footage streams when triggered by an audio event only, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption and storage needs.
• It enhances real-time surveillance because the alert immediately directs security personnel’s attention to the potential incident.

Well configured audio analytics system takes situational awareness up a notch. Besides providing an extra layer of protection, it enables the security to be more proactive in identifying and responding to potential threats. Augmenting video surveillance solutions with analytics facilitates intelligent analysis of what’s being seen and heard to precisely ascertain the level of threat and act accordingly.