Australian team developing the science of surveillance
By Holly Nott August 1, 2005 Sydney Morning Herald Australian researchers have begun developing advanced surveillance systems capable of recognising suspicious behaviour to combat crime and potential terrorist activity on public transport. Curtin University of Technology and DTI Group, both located in Perth, have joined forces in a $1 million, three-year project aimed at creating next-generation surveillance for public transport services in Australia and overseas. Face-recognition technology and techniques to detect unattended objects and recognise behaviour not typical of public transport users are all being examined. Curtin's pro vice-chancellor of research and development, Barney Glover, said there was a pressing need for more sophisticated public security technology. "We all know what is happening right around the world at the moment and closed-circuit television and surveillance is becoming an absolutely critical issue," Professor Glover said. "It is one thing to use CCTV technology after an event. What is important about the future is to be able to use that technology more pre-emptively . and to be able to stop an event occurring." Professor Glover said Curtin researchers had developed ways to check all cameras were operational and correctly focused throughout a surveillance network - a previously time-consuming and difficult process. They were also hoping to incorporate sophisticated face-recognition technology into the surveillance systems, and build in a trigger that is activated when objects are left unattended. Cameras using so-called terahertz technology, which can see through clothes the same way X-rays do, are being developed in Britain for routine checks on passengers at airports and rail stations. Such cameras detect the extremely short radio waves naturally emitted by objects, revealing the presence of concealed weapons and explosives. A company called ThruVision has begun trials of a terahertz imaging system at an undisclosed British airport. British scientists are also about to reveal a breakthrough in the detection of explosives. Until now, security services at key targets have relied on chemical analysis of air samples or sniffer dogs. Scientists at Insentinel, in Hertfordshire, have developed a far faster system using trained honey bees. The bees are exposed to tiny samples of explosives and rewarded if they respond correctly. According to the team, the bees have proved capable of detecting concentrations down to one part per million million - equivalent to a single grain of salt in a swimming pool. Australian Associated Press; Telegraph, London [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> <font face=arial size=-1><a href="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12hr9go5j/M=362329.6886306.7839369.3040540/D=groups/S=1705323667:TM/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1122909881/A=2894321/R=0/SIG=11dvsfulr/*http://youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=1992 ">Fair play? Video games influencing politics. Click and talk back!</a>.</font> --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
