A Glimpse into the Future of Surveillance
Imaging
By: Andre Lareau, President It was 16 years ago when I was working as the VP of Advanced
Reconnaissance at a major defense imaging company that I developed the
idea for a mega-pixel CCD. Our focal plane array foundry at the time
said it couldn’t be done, but the idea was patented and three short
years later we were flying our first prototype of a 4-Mpixel camera. By
1996 we were flying a 25-Mpixel camera on an F-16 aircraft. The pixel
size of those first detectors was 12-microns, and the thermal Infrared
equivalent, not fabricated until the late 1990s, was 25-microns. This
was all driven by the need for “persistent surveillance” i.e. the need
to be able to continuously image a battlefield in real time and high
resolution to see exactly what was happening while it was
happening. Fast forward to 2006: The mega-pixel arrays that were
thought “impossible” in 1990 can now be bought for a couple of hundred
dollars in retail stores or off the Internet. HD television is now
regularly available. What I’ll call “conventional” video technology has
become extremely cheap. Night vision illumination and cameras are only
a little bit more. It is clear that the pace of technological change in
this area is astounding. What was very expensive government funded
technology has percolated down throughout industry and has changed the
way we approach security and surveillance. We can now provide day/night
24/7 imaging solutions in high-resolution
color. But, what about the future? I just recently attended a
conference that brought together the greatest minds of government and
industry to discuss the latest state-of-the-art visible, thermal IR,
multi-spectral, hyper-spectral and polarimetric sensors technology and
applications. On the government’s side, the laboratory directors,
advanced technology program managers and scientists for the US Air
Force, Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory, the US
Army’s Night Vision Lab and Redstone Arsenal among others were all
present. These are the people who are responsible for determining the
“road-map” for advanced imaging technology sponsored by the US
government and military. On the industry side, the CTO, scientists and
advanced technologists who are directing billions in corporate research
dollars to develop next generation imaging capabilities were also
there. What resulted was an excellent vision into the future of
where civil, commercial and industrial security imaging will be going
in the next 5 to 10 years. Although the “battlefield” has changed due
to the emergence of Homeland Security and terrorist activities across
the world, the need is still there for “persistent surveillance.”
Industry reports that pixel sizes have shrunk to half the size capable
in the late ‘90’s in both visible and IR spectrums. And because of the
nature of the terrorist enemy, the requirement is to simultaneously
image much larger areas (think city-sized) with much finer resolution,
day/night, and with all the associated processing, storage and display
capability. The bottom line is that the rapid pace of technological
change is continuing. It is being driving by the dynamic requirements
for global security and surveillance and by huge investments of both
government and industry. The imagers that you have today will not be
sufficient for tomorrow’s applications. At QuickSet, we’ve seen a
glimpse of the future, and we’re already planning our “road-map” for
how we’re going to meet our customer’s
needs.
Come and See What’s
New! We invite you to visit QuickSet International, Inc. and Knox
Video Technologies at this year's trade shows that are being held
throughout North America and Canada. The show dates range
from March 16th 2006 through October 22nd 2006. Come, visit
and see our new QuickSet and Knox
products. We have provided
links for each Trade Show. If you need
additional information, please click on the link pertaining
to the Trade Show you would like to attend and would like
complimentary tickets for. Or, if you just need additional information,
please click on the Sales@quickset.com
link and one of our Sales Representatives would be happy to answer any
questions that you might
have. NSCA Expo (National Systems Contractor Association) March 16
– 18 2006, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada www.nscaexpo.org
Knox Brand
Products
Exclusively for the designers and installers of commercial
electronic systems, the Systems Integration Expo ® features 600
exhibits showing the latest technology in A/V, access control,
acoustics, control systems, data, digital signage, security/life
safety, lighting, telephony, sound and video among
others. EHX (Electronic House Expo) March 30 – April 1 2006, Orange
County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida www.ehxweb.com
Knox Brand
Products
Electronic House Expo (EHX) is the leading custom
electronics event, and the fastest growing custom electronics trade
show in America. Focused on the broad market of custom electronic
integration and retailing, it is the #1 place for the custom
electronics community to gather, network, learn, share knowledge and
ideas, and stay up to date on the latest industry trends and
innovations. ICS West (International Security Symposium and Exposition)
April 5 – 7 2006, Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
www.iscwest.com
For Security Dealers, installers, integrators, and security
end users. Bringing together buyers and sellers of NEW products,
technologies and solutions and providing the ideal forum to conduct
business. You will be able to see the newest products
and network with
colleagues. Defense & Security Symposium, April 18 – 20 2006,
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center , Orlando, Florida Sponsored
by: The International Society for Optical Engineering www.spie.org
Make time to see the largest collection of IR imaging
equipment, as well as the detectors, sensors, cameras, and technologies
that support homeland defense. Come connect with the right people,
discover where the industry is going, and see how new technologies can
take you to the next
level. NAB2006 (National Association of Broadcasters) April 24 –
26, 2006, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada www.nabshow.com
QuickSet and Knox Brand
Products
An event where you have the opportunity to meet key players
in electronic entertainment, news and communications from around the
globe, from television and radio stations to motion picture
studios, from broadcast and cable networks to Fortune 500 companies,
from educational institutions to government
agencies. Integrated Technologies Conference, May 3- 6 2006, Toronto
Congress Centre, Toronto , Ontario www.intandemcanada.com
Knox Brand
Products
Regional distributor show featuring manufacturers from In
Tandem
Canada InfoComm June 3 – 9, 2006, Orange County Convention Center,
Orlando, Florida www.infocomm.org
Knox Brand
Products
Attend the largest event in the professional information
communications and electronics arena, where manufacturers introduce the
hottest emerging technologies. Anyone who sells or buys AV equipment
and services that are vital to communicating information should attend
InfoComm. CEDIA EXPO 2006 (Custom Electronic Design &
Installation Asso.) September 14 –17, 2006, Denver, Colorado Convention
Center Colorado www.cedia.net/expo
Knox Brand
Products
This show is for high end residential integrators.
Everything from mega home theaters to whole house automation. If it
involves cutting edge technology in the home, it will be found
here. ASIS International 2006 September 25 – 27, 2006 San Diego
Convention Center, San Diego, California www.asisonline.org
Join more than 20,000 top professionals, colleagues, and
visionaries at the world's largest and most influential show dedicated
to security.
LDInstitute (
Live Design International) October 20 – 22, 2006 Las Vegas Convention
Center, Las Vegas, NV www.ets-ldi.com
Knox Brand
Products
The
interrelated events of The Entertainment Technology Week attract the
top professionals and vendors of lighting, video display, pro-audio,
staging, rigging, special effects and more. This show caters to the
nightclub and the hospitality
market.
From Knox Video
Technologies QuickSet Joins Forces To Make a Difference in
Louisiana
By Seth
Teates  In early February, QuickSet International joined with
many small businesses and churches to help the relief effort of
hurricane Katrina. Knox Video Technologies Sales and Marketing Manager,
Seth Teates, was sponsored by QuickSet for one week of the ongoing
volunteer effort based in Slidell, Louisiana. Under the auspices of
Trinity Evangelical Free Church, who shelters and feeds over 100
volunteers per week, Seth teamed up with the entire crew from Alpine
Services Inc. Their mission: to help Katrina victims remove
hurricane-damaged trees from their yards and off their
homes.
“Despite the fact that it has been many months since the
Hurricane, it looks like it happened just yesterday in many places”
said Seth. “When I left with the crew headed for Louisiana, my main
concern was that we wouldn’t find enough work to keep us busy. Now I
know that there is enough work here to keep an army of workers and
equipment busy for
years”.  Armed with three heavy-duty frontend loaders, an
excavator, and the two transport trucks and trailers, the team was
deployed to the hardest hit residences of the area. Together with
several teams of chain saw operators volunteering from Forcey Memorial
Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, the crew was able to remove enormous
amounts of trees and debris in short order. Homeowners that would have
otherwise never been able to reclaim their property or homes were
overjoyed with the
efforts.
The team was equipped with two tractor-trailers of heavy
equipment donated primarily by Alpine Services Inc, as well as Rentals
Unlimited Inc., and Metro Bobcat Sales, all firms based in Maryland.
Fuel costs were sponsored in part by FALCAN of Frederick Maryland. All
of these firms and organizations generously donated of their assets for
the two week
effort. The entire gulf coast region is still in desperate need of
help. If you would like to make a donation to the organization that
Seth worked with,
contact: http://www.trinitychurchonline.net/
Feature on Custom
Products QuickSet Can Speak the
Language Quickset products can fit into new and legacy
systems composed entirely of competitors' products. To meet our
customers' demands, Quickset has developed a suite of protocol
translators. QuickSet can integrate its nodal camera systems into new
and pre-existing systems. If a customer wants a protocol that we do not
already supply, QuickSet can provide a translator to fit the system
requirements. When your system requires the ruggedness of a QuickSet
node to fit into your complement of dome systems, QuickSet can provide
the solution.
Spotlight On…Rustin
Froeber  Rustin joined the QuickSet team on September 14, 2005 as
an Application Engineer. He earned his Electronics Engineering degree
from ITT Technical Institute. Before joining the QuickSet team Rustin
worked as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design Service Manager at STACI
LC, and at Cherry Corporation as Senior PCB Design Engineer. From his
previous experience, Rustin was able to bring his experience on diverse
platforms of products produced as well as gained Managerial skills. His
experience in the design of embedded controls for a broad industrial
base, with a strong background in automotive systems, permits Rustin to
convey an extroverted view at the QuickSet table. Born in New Jersey ,
and currently residing in Wisconsin , Rustin is married and the father
of three children. Rustin comments about his new career with the
QuickSet Family: “I really like the challenge of making something work
for the customer's requirement. I like the professional
atmosphere at QuickSet and the pride of turning out an American made
product that in many instances is used in a manner that aids in the
saving of lives as well as providing security for our way of
life.”
QuickSet Announces Introductory Sale of Video
Stabilizer Video from cameras often display “Shake” which significantly
interferes with a good quality image. The source of shake varies but is
amplified in particular by high magnification zoom lenses.
Applications, especially those related to security and surveillance in
today's environment must be able to minimize this problem. Quickset
introduces the VS101Video Stabilization module. This product integrates
with any standard analog camera or CCTV system and is especially
suitable for bus and train stations, airports, unmanned aerial
vehicles, tall buildings and bridges, high mountainous surveillance
posts, factories with integral machine vibration, pole mounts, etc. To
help you make this very important decision, we are offering a 30%
limited time introductory discount. Contact you field Sales Business
Development Manager today for more
information. |
