Body-worn cameras are becoming integral in the evidence management tool kit for law enforcement agencies across the globe. Those wondering when the technology will have widespread adoption need look no farther than Connecticut, where it is now state law.
As part of a recently passed Act Concerning Excessive Use of Force, the state received federal funding to purchase these cameras for Connecticut State Police. State troopers are receiving body cameras starting this summer, and their use is governed by the new law that stipulates recording will be activated by smart triggers, such as when an officer opens his door.

To help law enforcement agencies like those in Connecticut manage the massive volumes of data created by body and dashboard cams and city surveillance systems, Panasonic has  developed Unified Digital Evidence, a software technology to collect, manage and protect digital evidence. The new software solution offers a platform to gather and store digital evidence from the Arbitrator™ In-Car and Body-Worn camera platforms, as well as other sources, including fixed surveillance and a variety of digital media devices, increasing transparency and the flow of information, enabling a connected safety ecosystem.

Demand for professional video surveillance cameras has been growing quickly and is forecast to continue, according to IHS Markit. Less than 10 million cameras were shipped globally in 2006, and more than 130 million will be shipped in 2018, according to IHS data. In Newark, NJ, law enforcement leaders are embracing video technology as a public safety tool – to connect the community to crime determent. 

The “Citizen Virtual Patrol” is a digital policing program launched to allow community members to virtually patrol their neighborhoods and to assist police in deterring criminal activity. Residents with a computer or tablet and Wi-Fi can tap into the program’s live-streaming network of 62 Panasonic cameras installed across the city, and are encouraged to call 911 if they see suspicious activity so officers can be dispatched to the camera’s location. “This invaluable technology puts a real-time crime reporting tool in the hands of every concerned community member,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in April. “It corroborates their story, helps us make an arrest, or possibly prevents something from taking place before it actually happens.”
 

Some 6,700 miles away, Japan’s Immigration Bureau has chosen a high-tech security gate to streamline departures and arrivals at one of world’s busiest airports. Introduced in 2017 Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport, the Facial Recognition gate uses deep machine learning and advanced software designed to detect fraud and to prevent unauthorized entry – and alert authorities in real time.

The Japanese agency adopted this technology to move people through immigration more efficiently. Developed by Panasonic, which has worked on facial recognition technologies for 30 years, the security solution can identify individuals even if they aren’t looking at the camera head-on, or are wearing a mask or sunglasses.


The system compares photographic data of the traveler's face from the IC chip embedded in the person's passport with a photo taken at the facial recognition gate to verify his or her identity, making it an appealing alternative to fingerprint recognition, which requires people to register biometric data in advance. 

Such technology, combined with robust unified evidence management programs and sophisticated camera systems, promises to revolutionize security at stadiums, in hospitals, on college campuses, and at other high traffic venues where public safety is a priority now – and in the future.
 

As cars become more computer than machine, they are capable of communicating with one another in real time – saving time and lives. Demonstrating what the future can hold, the Colorado Department of Transportation has partnered with Panasonic to create a connected vehicle ecosystem that promises to drive a revolution in roadway safety and efficiency.

On a 90-mile commuter stretch of interstate 70 into Denver, this technology has been designed and deployed to allow CDOT to share information on highway conditions, traffic alerts and other driving hazards. It’s the first production-grade, U.S. connected vehicle system in which real-time data would be shared across vehicles, infrastructure and people with a goal to improve safety, lower fuel consumption and reduce congestion. Estimates are that such a solution could reduce non-impaired traffic crashes by 80 percent, and save drivers hours stuck in traffic each year.

What’s the most dangerous thing you did today? If you drove to work, it might surprise you to learn that getting in your car probably tops the list. Less surprising? Some of the reasons why traffic fatalities in the U.S. are on the rise. Distraction, road rage, fatigue, intoxication and other human error account for 94 percent of all accidents, according to federal stats.

Rutt Bridges, who authored Our Driverless Future, Heaven or Hell? pointed out that driver impairment and errors that lead to accidents cease to be a factor when there’s no driver behind the wheel. With driverless vehicles, there’s no road rage, and the reaction time is a thousand times faster than a human’s. Bridges pointed out that, unlike our limited senses, autonomous vehicles come equipped with advanced sensors that continuously track hundreds of objects near and far, from cars, motorcycles and pedestrians to suicidal deer lurking in the leaves, in a 360-degree field of view with no blind spots.

Vacation traffic, accidents and road repairs cause congestion, but that’s not the only issue. Of commuters who drive, nine out of ten drive alone, according to US DOT stats. If those soloists began to use ridesharing, the impact would be significant. Bridges explained that solo drivers would have to be convinced by more appealing options, such as “platoon lanes” in congested zones for connected, autonomous vehicles with synchronized acceleration, steering and braking to more safely travel closer together at highway speeds.

A research series commissioned by Panasonic on how decision makers see the leading disruptive technologies found that one in five companies plans to invest in autonomous vehicles in the near future. Indeed, within the next two to three years, there will be many new vehicles that integrate advanced connectivity like pedestrian detection and infotainment systems with ADAS software. And it is anticipated that these vehicles will be able to participate in the V2X ecosystem that CDOT and Panasonic are creating.

Estimates suggest that in just over a decade, fully autonomous cars could account for 15% all new cars sold, and that makes sense, especially if autonomy can deliver on the promise of increased safety and more time for those who use transportation to do the things they want to do. Former “drivers” who no longer take the wheel could spend time watching cat videos, instead of taking a driver’s test, getting a car insured, or watching brake lights on the way to the beach.

The humble road, the most basic infrastructure, is now pivotal to the future of transportation. In Colorado, the new connected vehicle platform on I70, promises to show the benefits of autonomous features by creating connectivity and data sharing and providing each vehicle with a 360-degree view of others nearby. By sharing and receiving this information, road operators will be able to understand real time traffic patterns, weather and roadway conditions and be warned of unsafe driving conditions as they are developing. Read more about how disruptive technology is impacting transportation in The Year of the Smart Highway.