Bosch’s INTEOX positioned as “First Fully Open Camera Platform”
In April 2020, Bosch launched its INTEOX open camera platform that combines built-in artificial intelligence/intelligent video analytics with a commonly used open operating system that enables customization through the freedom to add applications software and services to the camera.
Developed by Security and Safety Things GmbH, a Bosch start-up company, this smart IoT camera infrastructure is based on four pillars:
- An open OS based on Android Open Source Project and strengthened for increased security.
- An application store to access relevant app information, browse the public store, and purchase ready-to-use apps for all INTEOX cameras.
- A web portal for app developers and designers that offers information and tools to develop and test apps.
- A device management portal that shows app and device health statistics and enables easy management of apps.
Figure 1 Source: “Bosch Security – Webinar: INTEOX, a new camera platform designed to modernize the security industry”
The key benefits of INTEOX is that by shifting security and surveillance to a smart sensor (IoT) model, applications on the camera can natively integrate with additional data points, metadata, and analytics to generate enhanced video data to drive enhanced business solutions and decisions. A specific example would be leveraging the powerful artificial intelligence processors in the edge surveillance camera to perform complex analytics through neural networks and machine learning to take the raw video data and create relevant, actionable insights. This “take data, do this” ability on the camera could be used for such activities as fire detection, intrusion detection, access control, and hotel check-in. Personal protective equipment (PPE) detection, such as face masks, is currently available (Semantive PPE Inspection or Geuterbruck Face Mask Detector) by enabling third-party applications to run securely and leverage the processing power on the camera.
With surveillance teams having fewer team members and additional responsibilities, surveillance operations need to work smarter to provide safety, risk management, and the traditional mission of detecting theft, cheating, and other crimes. Most surveillance departments have access to technology and data such as POS information, loyalty programs, facial recognition, and license plate recognition, to mention a few, but how often is it used? Frequently, requests are made after a theft has been uncovered by someone else, not surveillance! Moving this monitoring, analysis, and intelligence to the camera edge via third-party apps and neural networks will allow surveillance operators to focus on the alerts and alarms generated from the system closer to the time of incident occurrence versus substantially after the fact.
The INTEOX camera platform will power an entirely new line of MIC, AUTODOME, FLEXIDOME, and DINION fixed and moving cameras supported by an open IoT infrastructure as summarized below.
Figure 2 Source: “Bosch Security – Webinar: INTEOX, a new camera platform designed to modernize the security industry”
Our Take
With Bosch’s release of its INTEOX camera solution, surveillance infrastructure moves beyond the legacy “closed circuit” model to a Camera-as-a-Platform (CaaP) approach, enabling third-party apps at the surveillance perimeter edge to create innovative, video-based business solutions and decisions.
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Vendor Landscape: Video Surveillance