Can video data deliver transformational benefits sector wide?

By Stefan Holmqvist, Regional Key Account Manager

For more than two decades Axis pioneering solutions have brought the highest levels of innovation to secure and protect thousands of organisations around the world. It stands to reason then that business leaders will seek other ways to harness the technology to enable smarter ways of working. When such requests are fed back to our designers and engineers, this can spearhead the next wave of technological innovation. And so, we have reached a point where more uses of Axis solutions are emerging that support digital transformation and the evolving requirements of modern businesses.

The applications we’re seeing are many and varied from those that have become part of Industry 4.0 within manufacturing, automotive and packaging environments, to the monitoring and analysis capabilities required to remotely coach a sports team. Axis technologies provide insight and intelligence to help organisations push beyond their perceived boundaries to increase speed, accuracy and efficiency while realising cost benefits. As businesses unlock the wider capabilities of the technology, so we will increasingly see, and be involved in, fantastic new use cases for ever more exciting projects.

Trusted solutions for agriculture

Grain management in silos is a complex task which aims to maintain a high quality of crop and reduce losses. Moisture and warm temperatures support the rapid growth of fungi and the production of mycotoxins, rendering affected grain unusable. While facilities will have monitoring apparatus in place, checking the gauges and levels on many silos one-by-one is a manual, timeconsuming process. Furthermore, upgrading to a fully digital system is often not financially viable. Axis network cameras, mounted in front of existing analogue systems, help monitor and detect variance in normal levels, sending video data through a central VMS to help identify issues faster and allowing remedial action to be taken sooner.

Elsewhere, within the fish farming industry, constant monitoring for changes in fish behaviour and overall condition is essential to ensure optimum health. Here network cameras watch over a vast number of tanks, while automated systems driven by video surveillance data identify the ideal time for feeding to reduce waste and maintain the shoal’s condition. In such environments, working with Axis as a trusted partner is helping the agricultural industry digitally transform its operations to address pain points while providing long-term benefits.

System integration to benefit logistics

As convenience and speed makes online shopping an increasingly attractive option for consumers, logistics operators are under increasing pressure to process orders and dispatch goods quickly and efficiently. Nowaste Logistics experienced a sharp rise in the number of missing items complaints, with refunds often issued to settle disputes in the absence of hard evidence relating to an order. This began to negatively affect profits and the use of staff and managers’ time.

Axis network cameras alongside AI software from SiB solutions presented Nowaste Logistics with a state-of-the-art business intelligence solution, allowing video of picking and packing processes to be linked to specific data. This is helping to protect business profits by delivering much needed proof of order fulfilment and distribution. The business now spends 70% less time dealing with questions relating to orders and, due to improved visual insights and evidence from AI and video analytics, error KPIs have been improved by 50%. The solution ensures full transparency of processes, including the tracking of all orders, resulting in a higher level of customer satisfaction.

Analysis to improve sports performance

Athletes need to be able to analyse their movements in order to identify where training should be focused to improve performance in their chosen sport. Where handheld cameras have obvious limitations, Axis cameras, coupled with dedicated sports analysis software, are making it possible for athletes and their coaches to record movements in real time, and to immediately view and analyse the sequences on a mobile device. The British Curling team is currently using such a solution to fine-tune coaching strategy based on real-time feedback, ensuring that members are always top of their game.

Track and field medallists are also using the solution to great benefit. Real-time appraisal of athletes’ movements means that suggestions for improvement can be made immediately, when it really counts, and not forensically after the moment has passed. Such is the versatility of the solution that it is also being used in football and other field games to monitor performance of entire teams, capturing the entire playing surface, and using specially trained analytics to track play.

Cost effectiveness and productivity in transport

One of the largest operators of linen and textile services in Europe, Elis, has been able to reduce both its costs and its environmental impact while increasing road safety awareness through Axis’ video surveillance technology combined with third-party telematics data. Increased driver training based on this data has already had a bearing on improving conduct and driving ability, including the use of excessive acceleration and braking. Elis noticed a 12.7% increase in fuel efficiency across the fleet and a decrease in driving related incidents by 58%. In addition, drivers use the intelligence to prove fault in the case of accidents or items taken during the loading or unloading of their vehicles. For Elis, digital transformation, supported by the smart use of video, is resulting in improved operations and a greener, more cost-effective business model.

Camera Control UK worked with Axis to document part of a major highways infrastructure programme; creating a dual carriageway to improve traffic flow along a route from Perth to Inverness in Scotland. High-quality 4K time-lapse video was used to capture the works for auditing purposes, to provide evidence of best practice and to serve as example material for future projects, showcasing the enormous achievements in restructuring and reshaping the carriageway. Thanks to the low-power capabilities of Axis’ cameras, they could run on sustainable solar energy, removing the need to draw power from a local source or use a diesel-fuelled generator.

The success of such projects has inspired Axis to explore new ways of improving efficiency, optimising performance, and ultimately leading to increased profitability across industries and sectors on a global scale. Through delivery of solutions comprised of network video, AI and data analytics, Axis continues to innovate, leading the market with smart tools and technologies that are driving positive change and enhancing the possibilities afforded by digital transformation.