On the Use of Cameras for the Detection of Critical Events in Sensors-Based Emergency Alerting Systems

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Daniel G. Costa (Author) Other; Francisco Vasques (Author) FEUP; Paulo Portugal (Author) FEUP; Ana Aguiar (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks

Vol. 9 No. 4

Pages: 1-46

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 4 Citations

Scopus - 10 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00S-V0G

DOI: 10.3390/jsan9040046

Abstract (EN): The adoption of emergency alerting systems can bring countless benefits when managing urban areas, industrial plants, farms, roads and virtually any area that is subject to the occurrence of critical events, supporting in rescue operations and reducing their negative impacts. For such systems, a promising approach is to exploit scalar sensors to detect events of interest, allowing for the distributed monitoring of different variables. However, the use of cameras as visual sensors can enhance the detection of critical events, which can be employed along with scalar sensors for a more comprehensive perception of the environment. Although the particularities of visual sensing may be challenging in some scenarios, the combination of scalar and visual sensors for the early detection of emergency situations can be valuable for many scenarios, such as smart cities and industry 4.0, bringing promising results. Therefore, in this article, we extend a sensors-based emergency detection and alerting system to also exploit visual monitoring when identifying critical events. Implementation and experimental details are provided to reinforce the use of cameras as a relevant sensor unit, bringing promising results for emergencies management.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 24