Jason Chiu is the professional services group manager with Axis Canada. He has a background in IT and networking and has spent over 15 years in the security industry, from being an integrator, consultant and manufacturer. Jason is an ASIS board Certified Protection Professional, and Physical Security Professional. Trained in Critical Infrastructure Protection, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
MWS: How do AI, IoT and machine learning contribute to the development of surveillance technologies for work trucks, and what benefits do they offer?
Chiu: Many AI technologies exist today that can assist with fleet and vehicle management. While generative AI and LLM’s are the hot topic of the day, there already exist many technologies that can assist with operations. The main benefit is to automate or enhance many manual tasks, such as recording vehicle condition, and record keeping.
MWS: Could you discuss any breakthroughs in camera and sensor technologies that are improving surveillance in work truck fleets?
Chiu: Today a camera can be enhanced with analytics such as OCR (optical character recognition), or ALPV (automated licence plate verification) which can be used in conjunction with other analytics, such as cross line detection to perform tasks like capturing 360 shots of vehicles as they enter/exit facilities for maintenance and damage tracking.
Additional technologies such as thermal cameras can be used to detect invisible or early indicators for damage like brake wear, hot spots, and leaks. In addition, as fleets move towards electrification, thermal cameras can also offer monitoring and early warning for hard to see issues, such as battery thermal runaway, which can cause explosions and severe damage to a fleet.
The integration of advanced surveillance technologies is set to evolve significantly in this new landscape, driven by the unique requirements and capabilities of autonomous systems. This evolution will be characterized by enhanced data analytics, increased connectivity, and a deeper integration with the broader smart infrastructure, all aimed at optimizing efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
MWS: What are the most significant benefits of these surveillance technologies for optimizing work truck fleet operations, particularly in terms of safety and efficiency?
Chiu: As mentioned above, many tasks require manual resources, and therefore can be abandoned over time, or not be performed consistently and efficiently enough to be of value or create cost or time savings, so for some in charge of fleet operations this becomes the cost of doing business.
With always-on, proactive, and passive systems that automate or simplify a lot of tasks, safety and efficiency is enhanced without additional human effort.
These technologies will process data from an array of sources, including onboard sensors, cameras, and external systems, to make instantaneous decisions on routing, speed, and cargo management, thereby optimizing for time, safety, fuel efficiency, and environmental impact.
MWS: How do you address privacy and ethical concerns associated with the increased surveillance of work truck operations?
Chiu: In addition to employing guidelines such as UN Global Compact and GDPR, Axis employs additional technologies such as Live Privacy Shield, which can mask humans, faces, license plates to preserve privacy, only showing un-masked footage, when necessary, in case of an event. Having a privacy and human rights-based approach from product inception ensures that technologies such as facial or demographics recognition cannot be enabled without additional effort, which should include scrutiny, regulatory, and legal compliance review.
MWS: In the context of sustainability, how can advanced surveillance technologies contribute to more eco-friendly work truck operations?
Chiu: Some of the technologies, which can enable preventive maintenance to allow for fleet managers to act early, can result in fuel savings, lost time incidents resulting in deploying more resources, that can make a substantial impact over a large fleet.
One of the primary environmental challenges associated with work truck operations is the significant fuel consumption and consequent emissions. Advanced surveillance technologies can play a pivotal role in addressing these issues. For instance, they can enable the optimization of routes, ensuring that trucks take the most efficient paths to their destinations. This not only reduces the time spent on the road but also minimizes fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, these technologies can monitor engine idling times, encouraging practices that decrease fuel waste.
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, the adoption of such technologies will be crucial for companies looking to minimize their ecological footprint while maintaining operational efficiency.
MWS: How do you see the integration of surveillance technologies evolving with the advent of autonomous vehicles in the logistics and transportation industry?
Chiu: While a lot of autonomous vehicles will already have their own systems in place, which utilize visual sensors, the integration of in-vehicle systems working in conjunction with in-building systems and overall management systems may yield further interesting use cases, which can enhance fleet management.
Then there’s the integration with smart infrastructure. Having open architecture and eliminating siloed surveillance. As autonomous vehicles become more integrated into the logistics and transportation industry, their interaction with smart infrastructure will become increasingly critical.
Surveillance technologies will play a key role in this integration, facilitating communication between AVs and traffic management systems, smart roads, and even smart cities. This interaction will enable optimized routing based on current traffic conditions, weather, and other factors, enhancing efficiency and reducing congestion. Moreover, it will allow for predictive maintenance of both vehicles and even infrastructure, minimizing downtime and extending the lifespan of assets.
For More Information
Axis enables a smarter and safer world by creating solutions for improving security and business performance. As a network technology company and industry leader, Axis offers solutions in video surveillance, access control, intercom, and audio systems. To learn more, visit www.axis.com.
