Body-worn live video trials underway

Local mobile video streaming company m-View has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with US developer of ruggedised wearable cameras Fire Cam in a deal expected to fuel adoption of live video streaming and recording for front-line police and emergency services officers in Australia.

The announcement comes amid an increase in interest in live video streaming via wearable field cameras locally, while recent controversial events in the US have further highlighted the technology’s importance, prompting President Barack Obama to declare recently more public funds should be allocated to expedite its deployment.

For years, m-View has counted Australian emergency services, including the Queensland, NSW, Victorian and West Australian fire services, as well as several state law enforcement agencies, as its customers.

m-View’s streaming software will form a central component of Fire Cam’s recently announced OnCall Live Video System. The cloud-managed service or licensed server lets users stream live video, audio and GPS location data to a command post, dispatcher or another team member enabling real-time situational awareness. As a part of the deal, m-View has also delivered a secure chain-of-custody solution that meets the stringent requirements of law enforcement agencies.

Trials to begin

NSW Fire and Rescue will soon commence trials of m-View’s video streaming solution and body-worn Fire Cam cameras in a bid to improve the responsiveness of field officers and command managers battling fires in the state.

The organisation has been using m-View technology for several years to gain better awareness of emergency situations; capabilities enhanced by the improved sophistication of mobile devices and applications, according to Graham Tait, operational communications systems officer with NSWFR.

“We are looking to trial the use of body-worn cameras to further enhance this capability, and to provide our incident managers with live point of video directly from the firefighters,” Tait said.

“The views available from both inside and outside an incident scene help to provide enhanced intelligence from the emergency event and can assist in resolving the incident faster and more efficiently.”

m-View will also soon begin trials of the solution for Wilson Security, which hopes to improve security outcomes for its clients as well as ensuring better safety for security officers.

“The ability of Wilson’s on-site security officers to conduct live video streaming of events occurring within and around our clients’ premises allows us to deliver better levels of responsiveness while giving us rich video data to inform ongoing strategic planning,” said John McMellan, CEO, Wilson Security Asia Pacific.

m-View is also in advanced discussions with several other organisations, including logistics and service companies looking to begin trials over December and January.

IT systems integrator CSG is looking to equip its field technicians with body-worn cameras in an effort to improve service outcomes for its customers, especially by providing better real-time visibility of projects and problem solving.

“We are interested in exploring the real-time video streaming technology with our field service technicians, so that customers can gain rapid assistance from our experts,” explained the company’s managing director, Julie-Ann Kerin.

“As CSG has a number of customers in regional Australia, we are hopeful that the technology could also support our customers by increasing their access to some of our most highly skilled technical specialists,” Kerin added.

Live streaming the difference

Matt Cameron, global partnership manager and CTO at m-View, said the partnership with Fire Cam brings together two companies with extensive expertise to deliver the next generation of wearable wireless cameras that stream live video.

“There are many examples of wearable cameras that record to SD card, but with our live streaming solution we are changing the game by bringing a proven live capability - in a secure cloud or private managed service system - to a whole range of customers who have been crying out for such a solution,” Cameron noted.

At one end of the system is the Wi-Fi Pro camera, which attaches to any shirt, vest or coat. Capable of recording in high-definition 1080p, the camera sees everything with its 150° wide-angle lens. The camera features both a powerful LED light and an infrared light for optimal night-time stealth.

m-View CEO Andre Obradovic said: “We have built the software and the application that enable the wearable cameras to stream high-quality video live. Our applications intelligently look at the network quality and ensure video streams are delivered with low latency and reliability, providing optimal situational awareness for front-line law enforcers and emergency responders. We also provide a flexible environment where the video is recorded in standard formats and we work with the customer to respond to their needs.

He added that m-View is planning a global release of new hardware and streaming solutions for January next year, while flagging the announcement of several new innovations to further empower officers in the field.