With the widespread deployment of networked sensors and cameras throughout cities, there is an incredible opportunity for improving safety and security. Surveillance networks incorporate cameras mounted on traffic lights and overpasses, mobile cameras attached to emergency vehicles, and chemical and biological sensors for detecting dangerous contaminants.
Dr. Mark Coates, McGill University
With the widespread deployment of networked sensors and cameras throughout cities, there is an incredible opportunity for improving safety and security. Surveillance networks incorporate cameras mounted on traffic lights and overpasses, mobile cameras attached to emergency vehicles, and chemical and biological sensors for detecting dangerous contaminants. Surveillance networks can comprise several thousand sensors and cameras throughout a city. The task of controlling and utilizing the information provided by these networks is a challenging engineering task as the mathematics and algorithms needed do not exist. Thus, the design of strategies for managing the sensors and cameras in the network and harnessing the information provided by them is the goal of this project. In the past year, the team devised a novel method for tracking multiple vehicles, as well as a new algorithm that allows networks to detect traffic jams and provide an early indication of accidents and their impact on traffic flow. A new approach for organizing automatic calibration of sensor networks and mechanisms to provide efficient synchronization of distributed computer networks were described.