by Bob Cutting

OK enough is enough.

The next time I attend a conference where that same company gives the same presentation showing how video analytics with color detection could have been used to search for vehicles and prevent events such as the Washington DC sniper killings, I’ll call them out. Using video analytics for color detection is viable in certain applications. But the way this “solution” is presented is just plain careless.

With any video analytic solution, it’s never just about the analytics. It’s about camera coverage…AND the manner in which cameras adjust to light changes…AND the lack of lighting for nighttime applications…AND the blue cast that seems to overlay many objects under certain lighting conditions…AND the sheer fact that customers underestimate the challenge of separating the white/grey/silver/light blue cars that make up 75% of cars on the road! Who has actually sold this and made it work?

This type of non-consultative, haphazard positioning of a solution does a great disservice to our market. Why do vendors continue to compromise our huge collective investment in R&D by making claims based on concept? Would you set up your company for such a customer support nightmare just to win a deal?

Anyone can output good color data as metadata, but environmental influences and consistency of analysis are never fully addressed. Time to educate the market more responsibly and shine the white light of truth on the issue of color detection.