Traffic Cameras vs AI Cameras: What’s The Difference?

The year 2024 has brought about vast changes in the field of science. As technology progresses, it also becomes smarter and more autonomous thanks to artificial intelligence. AI algorithms are capable of looking up information quickly and providing answers on the fly. The same technology applies to mass surveillance and security cameras as well.

Recent advancements in AI for security cameras have enabled a host of new features that can improve surveillance, provide greater detail and reduce the need for human intervention. This blog talks about traffic cameras for mass surveillance and compares them to modern AI cameras, assessing their strengths and seeing how they stack up to each other.

Almost always placed by the Government Of Canada, traffic cameras are “located at strategic locations on the road network to ensure the safety of road users.” Each camera provides security footage of the general traffic, both vehicular and on foot, which can be viewed by the relevant authorities.

Traffic cameras can be of multiple types depending on their purpose and the features that they have. Here are the most common types of traffic cameras:

These are general purpose cameras for mass surveillance. They are used to monitor traffic on the road network, identify congestion, respond to emergencies and collect evidence in case of an unfortunate incident. These cameras, if placed on expressways, are usually on 15 M poles or on top of traffic signal posts.

Traffic monitoring cameras act as the eyes of law enforcement and the government to see the flow of traffic on roads. These are usually bullet or dome cameras with stationary field of view or they can also be PTZ cameras that can move and zoom in on a particular incident. They can prove useful if an incident occurs that needs investigating and can also be used to monitor traffic and ensure that it is flowing smoothly. It also serves as a data collection tool for traffic engineers to consider town planning and development.

Red-Light cameras have a particularly specific use case. They are used specifically for law enforcement measures and take photographs of violations in case a driver crosses a red light. These are usually placed on busy intersections in city centers with a lot of traffic influx. These cameras come with an external light source as well and consist of a large weather-resistant box.

Red Light cameras take photographs of the car violating traffic lights both during and after the violation. These cameras can also take video footage of the incident which then acts as proof of the violation in the court of law.

These systems can also be programmed to auto-issue a ticket which is mailed to the driver after the violation has occurred and vetted by the relevant law enforcement authority. Cities with red light cameras in North America experience 21% less fatal crashes per capita which signifies their importance both in terms of law enforcement and citizens’ safety.

Similar to red light cameras are speed cameras which are aimed at catching drivers violating the speed limit. These cameras ensure that streets, especially busy ones remain safe round the clock and no violations occur. These cameras usually have faster shutter speeds and require ample lighting to capture clear images of fast-moving vehicles and be able to read the license plate correctly.

Speed cameras can be stationary as well as moving. While fixed speed cameras are mounted to poles and mast arms, portable or moving speed cameras can be moved around as they are usually mounted to a patrol car. Fixed speed cameras are placed in heavy traffic areas, in school zones and other sensitive areas where there is substantial pedestrian traffic to ensure safety. Moving speed cameras can be used where there are no speed cameras for temporary deployment. These act as an added layer of surveillance and law enforcement to ensure that citizens adhere to traffic laws.

AI cameras, as the name suggests, are security or surveillance cameras powered by artificial intelligence. These cameras add a layer of extra functionality on top of a regular camera and are used for specialized purposes since they cost more and take more effort and time to set up and maintain.

AI has enabled certain security as well as surveillance features in security cameras that make them deployable in a range of scenarios to solve a host of problems faced by businesses, law enforcement and the city administration. Powered by razor-sharp resolution going up to 4K, these cameras collect a large amount of data and process it to derive actionable insights.

With the power of AI, modern cameras are able to detect when there is a moving object in frame. This can prove beneficial in saving up video storage as they can be programmed to activate when motion is detected and start recording a particular incident. The camera is able to discern between stationary and moving objects and even classify them to provide a comprehensive incident report.

Building on the concept of motion detection, AI cameras can also differentiate between a person, a vehicle or an animal depending on the programming. This can help significantly reduce false alarms that can be raised by stray animals that wander onto the property.

With AI, security footage can be tagged automatically which makes it easily searchable based on certain instances of movement and other activity. This helps cut down significantly on the time spent searching for an incident among hours of footage. This also reduces the need for security personnel sitting down and sifting through security footage and reduces human error as well.

AI-powered cameras can monitor crowds as well to detect movement patterns and keep an eye on any and all activity happening on the premises.
Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms enable security cameras to monitor crowd behavior in congested spaces like stadiums and airports. Certain sophisticated models are able to precisely count the number of people in a given area. AI surveillance cameras, when combined with other cutting-edge technologies, can improve crowd control and avert possible disputes or overpopulation in public areas.

Modern AI cameras can also detect faces and cross-reference them from a set database. This can help keep a track of personnel and see where they move through the premises. This can give memory to your security system to flag suspicious people if and when they show up.

Paired with access control, they can allow or restrict access to certain areas within the facility and eliminate the need or access credentials that can be duplicated or stolen to gain undue access to your facility.

Automated alerts are yet another key feature of AI-powered cameras. When suspicious activity is detected such as a specific object such as a gun or other weapon appearing in frame, or the appearance of a suspicious person/vehicle or a specific sound, it raises an alarm that alerts the security company, the business owner as well as the law enforcement to take swift action.

With the latest developments in AI-powered cameras, a number of camera manufacturers have taken up the trend and developed cameras that come with the latest features. Knowing which cameras are right for your business depending on the specific requirements is key when picking out cameras. Here are a few cameras from reputable brands in Canada that offer AI-powered analytics and can be deployed for surveillance as traffic cameras or for security by private businesses.

This camera includes advanced AI-powered analytics, such as object detection and classification, which can differentiate between people, vehicles, and other objects. It also offers facial recognition and unusual motion detection.

The H5SL camera range features AI-powered object detection and classification, allowing it to accurately identify and track people and vehicles. It also supports multiple lens options for various surveillance needs.

This camera is equipped with next-generation video analytics, including object detection, facial recognition, and unusual activity detection. It provides high-resolution imaging and excellent low-light performance.

The P3245-LVE camera includes Axis Object Analytics, which provides real-time object detection and classification. It also features Lightfinder 2.0 and Forensic WDR for superior image quality in challenging lighting conditions.

This PTZ camera offers advanced motion detection, auto-tracking, and 30x optical zoom. It also includes built-in IR illumination for low-light conditions and can classify objects using AI-powered analytics

Be it for general surveillance or for specific security-related concerns, your business needs a security provider that takes the hassle of selecting cameras, designing the system and deploying it away from your hands and ensures that the security system meets your business needs and budgetary requirements as well.

Spotter Security with over 20 years of experience in the industry of securing businesses across Canada knows the ins and outs of security surveillance and can help you figure out which cameras and AI features your business could benefit from and can deploy and monitor them for you so you never have to worry about security again.