Case Study

Anonymization in recordings with a Hikvision recorder and CCTV integration

The Client had a CCTV infrastructure consisting of many systems from different suppliers. This made it difficult to track events and manage the configuration and video material collected by distributed systems.

The biggest challenge was tracking complaints. Reaching the appropriate recording after a long time (sometimes 6 or more months) and finding irregularities on individual technological lines took too much time for the IT department. Another problem was the fact that there was no ready-made solution on the market that would fully meet the customer’s needs.

A properly configured Hikvision recorder with a module written for the client’s needs that allows for anonymization of recordings coped with this problem.

Achieved results

Challenges of modern factories

A manufacturer of dried tea, present on the global market, decided to change the video monitoring system and centralize the management of the distributed infrastructure of cameras and video storage systems.

Since complaints were reported even several months after production, our Client needed a solution that would allow him to store the recordings for longer than 90 days. In accordance with the provisions of the GDPR, such recordings must be devoid of any elements that would allow the recognition of the characters appearing in them. The solution may be the anonymization of the silhouettes when downloading the recording from the recorder.

Our goal was to propose a system that would shorten the complaint time, meet the requirements of the quality department, be solid and reliable, and provide a single access and configuration point for the IT department.

Solution – anonymization of recordings with a Hikvision recorder and integrated cameras

After learning about the client’s advanced requirements, we proposed a vision system from Hikvision. We made this recommendation because of:

1. The manufacturer’s leading position and an extensive R&D department.
2. The durability of Hikvision cameras and the manufacturer’s warranty can be extended to 4 and even 6 years in the case of some cameras.
3. Management from one HikCentral point, which gives measurable benefits:
   • ability to scale the system to 5,000 devices;
   • high level of security against system hacking;
   • granting permissions per user or per group;
   • possibility of creating a multimedia map with the location of cameras.
4. The silhouette anonymization mechanism implemented on three levels (camera, Hikvision recorder and software) ensures 98% effectiveness even in unfavourable conditions. Competitive solutions assumed connecting existing cameras via ONVIF, which would reduce the quality of video recording and limit the functionality of the camera only to image recording.
5. Ability to choose when to anonymize the face and when the entire figure.
6. Software enabling archiving recordings for over a year and filtering them, e.g. by employee number.

How did we carry out the project?

Needs analysis

We started with a detailed needs analysis. Since the client already had a monitoring system, it was crucial to understand the goals that the IT department and the quality department wanted to achieve. We wrote down the requirements and assumptions in a document, which was the basis for searching for a suitable supplier and creating an offer.

Conversations with producers

Conversations with producers

We wanted to best match your needs, so before we presented the offer, we talked to three CCTV equipment manufacturers. We chose Hikvision as a potential partner for the project, which uses advanced deep learning, big data and cloud computing technologies in its products.

During several video conferences with Hikvision engineers, we developed implementation scenarios and proposed possibilities for further expansion of the system with new elements and functionalities.

Creating a schedule

After the client accepted the offer, we moved on to creating an implementation schedule. It included: installation, configuration, pre-implementation tests and acceptance. We planned the entire CCTV migration project for 10 weeks.

Installation and testing

The first step was to prepare structured cabling and configure the array. Then we moved on to assembling the devices.

In order to ensure reliable access to the recordings, we saved the video material on disks in recorders and pass-through servers, which gave us access to the recordings even in the event of a storage failure. Server redundancy provided additional security.

Forklifts are equipped with cameras looking at the front and rear of the forklift. This allows you to record the pallet picked up and put away by the employee, as well as what the employee does. Ultimately, labels from pallets will be scanned automatically and their data will be superimposed on the camera image. Thanks to this, monitoring operators will be able to filter recordings by barcode from the palette.

The installation stage culminated in on-site tests in the production hall. Their aim was to verify whether the monitoring works according to the adopted assumptions, whether the devices are visible in one administrator panel, and whether the recordings meet the requirements for anonymization of data.

Wondering if you can achieve similar results in your factory? Make an appointment with our consultant.

See also