Many people still refer to all security cameras as CCTV cameras. IP security cameras, however, are much more versatile than Closed-Circuit Television cameras — that’s what CCTV stands for.
IP security cameras are network-connected; they don’t run on closed-circuit systems.
Being network-connected opens up a whole range of possibilities. One of these possibilities is the integration of your IP camera system with different security devices.
We tend to think of IP physical security systems as being all about the camera and the recorder, but it doesn’t need to be. After all, there’s more to this world than what you can see.
That’s why IP security manufacturers are starting to branch into different types of sensors that expand and improve your physical security system.
In this blog, we look at two types of sensors that are being integrated into IP security systems:
We focus on Axis Communications, because they are at the forefront of the IP physical security industry when it comes to sensors.
Let’s get into it!
Environmental Sensors
What is an environmental sensor for an IP security system? It’s a network-connected sensor that detects a wide range of things like humidity levels, cigarette smoke, and air quality indicators.
Think of it as a more versatile and intelligent version of the smoke detector or carbon monoxide (CO) detector you have at home. A smoke detector monitors the air for particulate matter; a CO detector monitors for carbon monoxide. An environmental sensor does both — and more.
Fun fact: Smoke detectors work in two ways. The first — photoelectric — works by using a light beam in the detector. When a certain density of particulate matter is present, particles reflect the light beam onto a light detector, setting off the alarm. The second — ionization — works by using radioactive material to ionize the air, thus producing an electrical current. When particulate matter is present, particles carry ions away, reducing the electrical current and setting off the alarm. Don’t worry: the radioactive material is extremely small and well shielded; the radiation levels are much less than the background radiation we’re exposed to every day.
Back to the topic at hand!
We tend to think of security as being all about catching bad actors doing bad things. But that’s not everything to consider.
Here’s a small example. Think of an AI data center. In the building, you’d want surveillance cameras to ensure no one tampers with or steals anything. Is that all? With an environmental sensor, you could also monitor temperature and humidity to maintain optimal levels and extend the lifetime of the servers. These readings help just as much — if not more — in keeping the data center functioning properly.
It's security of a different form. When we said in the introduction that IP camera systems are capable of much more than CCTV systems, this is what we meant.
Environmental sensors can be used to improve the healthfulness of a location.
Let’s use the new Axis D6310 as an example. It integrates a wide range of sensors: temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and more.
Why should you be interested in these measurements? You can use the data for immediate action and for long-term strategy. There are many potential use-cases.
For example, a school could use the sensor to help enforce restrictions on smoking cigarettes or using vapes. A manufacturing facility could use it to document compliance with workplace safety regulations. An office building could use it to detect sources of energy wastage; when those sources are fixed, it could save money. A hospital could use it to improve air quality for patients.
This last example brings up AQI.
D6310 measures a location’s Air Quality Index (AQI).
In the US, Air Quality Index (AQI) refers an index developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that provides guidelines for how dangerous a given level of air pollutants is to people.
AQI applies to six major pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead. These pollutants can come from natural sources like wildfires or from human activity like car exhaust.
The sensor can provide a constant, accurate reading of the AQI of indoor spaces with easy-to-read charts and actionable insights. By monitoring the AQI of a space, you can improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a location.
This is physical security of a different form than we usually think about: everyday health.
But environmental sensors aren’t the only thing you can integrate with your IP security solution.
D6310 also has a microphone, which can be used as an audio sensor — our next topic!
Audio Sensors
Another type of sensor that’s making its way into IP security systems is the audio sensor (or acoustic sensor).
By audio sensor, we’re not talking about the internal or external microphone that adds an audio layer to surveillance video or enables two-way conversations. If you’d like to know more about that topic, check out our blog, “The Importance of Audio for IP Security Camera Installations.”
Rather, an audio sensor is used to trigger an event when it detects a critical sound like breaking glass, to monitor sound trends over time, and so on.
Audio sensors are particularly useful in locations that are challenging for video, like low-light or congested areas, and for protecting privacy while maintaining security. They are more useful in areas that are generally quiet, because sudden differences in sound levels are the key things it’s monitoring.
Axis is leading the way with IP cameras like Axis P3285-LV, which has a built-in acoustic sensor, and with Axis Audio Analytics.
The sensor part is easy to understand: it’s pretty much a microphone. It listens to what’s happening around it and measures sound pressure level (SPL).
Why do they call it an audio sensor? For privacy, no audio is transmitted or recorded by an Axis audio sensor by default. Calling it a microphone would imply a use-case that it isn’t intended to be used for — so audio sensor it is!
How does an audio sensor improve security when used with an IP camera system?
Audio Analytics uses AI-based algorithms to analyze the audio and classify sounds into appropriate types, from normal ones like speech to unusual ones like screams or the breaking of glass.
If it detects an unusual sound, it can send an alert to staff, automatically showing them the video feed from the camera that sensed the sound. The staff can then see if it’s just someone who’s dropped their Stanley tumbler or if it’s someone breaking glass to steal, for example, crown jewels from a famous museum. The whole security process is streamlined; response by staff is faster and more appropriate to the situation.
How does an audio sensor work if it doesn’t transmit or record audio?
It produces audio metadata, that is, information about the sounds it detects rather than the sounds themselves. For instance, if it records a loud crash in a gym, Audio Analytics can send an alert to staff. It can say how loud the sound was, classify it according to its characteristics, and so on — metadata. The actual audio isn’t needed.
In this way, Audio Analytics enhances security while preserving privacy. It also makes the data easy to parse. In the system’s dashboard, you get visualizations of real-time readings and historical trends, enabling data-driven decision making.
Another use-case for audio sensors is measuring noise pollution.
As with using an environmental sensor to measure the Air Quality Index, an audio sensor can measure the average SPL over time, which helps you detect noise pollution.
Noise pollution is sound that negatively impacts humans and/or animals. As an example, think of how loud a freeway is when you’re near that zooming traffic. Or how consistently loud a factory can be. This is noise pollution.
We tend to think of pollution in terms of smoke or trash, but noise pollution is also a fact of modern life. Constant loud noise can damage hearing over time. Even if it doesn’t damage hearing, it is hard for most people to deal with.
By measuring SPL over time, an audio sensor provides actionable data that can be used to reduce noise pollution and improve everyone’s quality of life.