Image Quality

Understanding what constitutes quality images and how to optimize the quality of images used in 3VR systems is critical to developing viable solutions. Meeting specific requirements for 3VR facial surveillance is much more challenging than in any traditional CCTV deployment. Accordingly, many partners and users are unaccustomed to being concerned about these issues and can easily overlook them.

By understanding and optimizing image quality, you will be able to:

• Better qualify what opportunities are strong fits for 3VR

• Set the appropriate level of expectations with partners and users

• Design a system that accommodates real world conditions

• Deliver a solution that is optimally effective

Key Elements in Optimizing Images for Facial Surveillance

This report will examine and explain the many elements that are critical to using 3VR for facial surveillance. While fundamental principles apply to images from photographic cameras as well as CCTV cameras, the application will differ. The following summarizes the key elements so that the reader may have a quick reference for future use.

• Any image, whether video or photo, requires sufficient detail. Detail is determined by

  • the level of resolution in the image

  • the size of the person’s face relative to the size of the image

• The person’s face must look directly towards the camera. This affects both the class of imported photos that are acceptable and how video cameras must be positioned to capture faces.

• Imported images have to meet the requirements listed above. With the exception of mugshots and passport photos, most photos do not meet these requirements.

• Video cameras must be positioned specifically to capture faces. The cost may be inexpensive but the skill is not
  trivial. Care must be taken to precisely position cameras to capture faces consistently.