[luau] Brian Chee on Front Page Honolulu Advertiser

[Brian Chee]

P.S. The system at ICS was done with win32 software, but there exists Linux
based stuff that I think should perform much better.....

checkout gspy that was written about in Linux Journal in the October 2002
edition. This will pull in video from webcams and then allow you to turn the
jpegs into mpegs for easy review. It also seems to add in motion detection
which is a BIG plus.

Tools are at:
gspy    -    gspy.sourceforge.net
Motion detect     -   motion.technolust.cx
Berkeley MPEG Tools    -
bmrc.berkeley.edu/frame/research/mpeg/mpeg_encode.html

These URL's are from the magazine and I take no responsibility for their
accuracy.

The issue here is that you can use as good a video source as you can
afford....we're using some pretty good axis webcams and those we can get
very good detail. If it ever comes to it, good enough for facial
recognition....but so far we've resisted the "need".

Lastly, in order to not impose on people's privacy rights, you really need
to pay attention to the following:
1.    Place the cameras only in "public" spaces. Bathrooms, changing rooms,
etc where a person has a reasonable expection of privacy is a SUPER BIG NO
NO!!! I think such things are a class 2 felony, so don't even joke about
such things in this litigation happy world.
2.    Even in public areas, it is expected that you post a notice of video
surveillance. This is considered only polite.
3.    Make sure that you post notices everywhere someone would gain entry to
the space. We've done all the elevators and stairwells, in addition to
stickers above all the locks so that someone will be staring at the warning
sticker as they insert their key.
4.    If you don't want someone having a chance at abusing your images,
airgap this system from the net.

/brian chee

/brian chee

University of Hawaii ICS Dept
Advanced Network Computing Lab
1680 East West Road, POST rm 311
Honolulu, HI  96822
808-956-5797 voice, 877-284-1934 fax

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hawaii Linux Institute" <wp at hawaiilinux.us>
To: <luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 8:06 AM
Subject: [luau] Brian Chee on Front Page Honolulu Advertiser


> Cheeseburger, Cheers, Brian Chee. No matter. Front Page news:
>
> UH team thwarts thefts, vandalism in building
>
> By Beverly Creamer <mailto:bcreamer at honoluluadvertiser.com>
> Advertiser Education Writer
>
> Cheeseburgers jammed into CD-rom drives. Super Glue in floppy disc
> drives. Rearranged or missing computer keys. Thousands of attempted
> hacks into the system.
>
> It's the kind of vandalism that has cost the University of Hawai'i
> thousands of dollars over the past few years, Brian Chee says.
>
> But perhaps no longer.
>
> Chee and others from the Information and Computer Science Department in
> the Pacific Ocean Science and Technology Center have created a cheap and
> effective surveillance and security system that has cut to zero the
> break-ins, loss and damage in the information technology area over the
> past six months.
>
> The same type of system may be implemented elsewhere, too, but the ICS
> system is the first up and running, Chee said.
>
> With campus security on many people's minds because of recurring
> break-ins and thefts,the fairly inexpensive solution — the ICS video
> surveillance system cost between $15,000 and $20,000 — is receiving
> interest campuswide.
>
> . . .
>
> http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Dec/22/ln/ln01a.html
>
> Mele Kalikimaka! wayne
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> LUAU mailing list
> LUAU at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
> http://videl.ics.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/luau