AN EVALUATION ON THE USE OF SCENE CHANGE DETECTION AS A SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUE

This paper examines the development of the use of scene change detection and motion alarm as used by the Euratom Safeguards Office (ESO). The incorporation of new technological advances into video surveillance systems and the interaction of the human factor in operation of these systems are examined. Euratom has applied videobased scene change detection systems for routine safeguards use in a small number of facilities since the late 1980s onwards. In the early 1990s with the increased number of video surveillance tapes for review the use of the technique of scene change detection was incorporated into the design of the MORE (Multiple Optical Review) review station to reduce the number of time-lapse images to be reviewed by human operators. The MORE station digitises the analogue images and compares differences between consecutive images. This concept has been adopted for review stations of digital surveillance data, GARS (General Advanced Review Station). The experience of safeguards inspectors in the use of scene change detection during review also increased the confidence in the technology and in the late 90's the first cameras and digital surveillance systems offering scene change detection in addition to time-lapse recording became available. Tests of these digital surveillance systems have been carried out to prove the comprehensiveness and the reliability of the system's scene change detection methods together with an evaluation of the advantages offered. The use of scene change detection to reduce the number of images for evaluation not only provides an aid for ease of data review and time saving but also becomes increasingly attractive for data transmission in remote monitoring applications. The modern chips available for scene change triggering provide a range of different applications that can be utilised in both on-site recording applications and remote monitoring. Data transmission will only be economically feasible if the volume of data to be transmitted can be reliably and usefully reduced. Here scene change detection is a serious candidate as it has proven its usefulness.