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What kinds of surveillance cameras are there now?
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Roughly speaking, those using CCTV (closed circuit television) and CCD (charge coupled device) technologies, and film cameras that use long films for motion pictures, etc.
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What markets do they serve?
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They are most heavily used for security purposes, such as crime prevention, disaster-reduction and safety. As society goes increasingly information-oriented, however, the scope of use has expanded into image capture, records and transmission systems. Surveillance cameras are being used for different purposes in different places: observing at places where "people" and "money" gather, such as financial institutions, convenience stores and other retailers and amusement facilities; security in elevators, railway stations and shopping arcades; safety control and monitoring at key facilities including railways, roads, tunnels, dams, power stations and transformer substations; remote monitoring of outlets of chain store operators; and security at medical and welfare institutions. The scope looks set to expand even further.
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A:
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But aren't there several factors that keep domestic demand of surveillance cameras from growing - a decline in new building starts, shrinking capital expenditures by private enterprises and a decrease in the number of public facilities? In particular, the number of financial institutions is on the decline and there are virtually no new openings, are there?
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B:
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That's true, but demand for roads, railways and governmental projects is brisk, and the ongoing expansion of user groups more than offsets the downward trend, making the total growth flat or on a slight increase. Demand is expected gain momentum again starting this year as people feel the economy has bottomed out, take greater interest in security and become willing to make investments that help streamline their cost structures.
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A:
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In Japan, people have tended to believe that "security" is "free," haven't they?
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In the past, yes. But people are beginning to realize the need to protect themselves with security systems, partly because of an increasing number of convenience store robberies and kidnappings.
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I believe there was an argument about being photographed by a surveillance camera without knowledge being an infringement on privacy. What has become of that?
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There once was a major story in a "security" magazine. A bank at King's Cross, a shopping center in Sydney, Australia, installed a film-type surveillance camera with a pinhole lens of 3 mm in diameter at the back of an ATM. The magazine attacked the bank for the alleged infringement of privacy. Thanks to the camera, however, an ATM robber was caught and the bank was able to get its money back. As they say, "Necessity knows no law." The bank had to take the material gain and leave behind the human rights issue.
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A:
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Is that so? But in that case, they have to ask customers for their cooperation, don't they? Seems like surveillance for security is taken for granted. Are you saying that an increasing number of people aren't bothered by a camera?
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Yes. For instance, cameras are increasingly becoming a common sight in elevators, at toilet entrances, railway stations, schools and hospital entrances, places where in the past people would have questioned the use of a camera. People prefer "security" to "resisting being watched."
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I was once told that only high resolution pictures taken by a film camera can be used as evidence in a criminal court in Japan. Is that still the case?
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Strictly speaking, it is. But technical progress has allowed video cameras and TV cameras to take pictures with greater clarity. You've probably seen pictures on TV of a criminal taken by a CCTV or CCD camera, which are not clear enough to identify the criminal.
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Yes, yes. I remember having been irritated at the lack of sharpness.
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Nowadays, electronic images are accepted as adjunct evidence at trials. Since they can be reorganized and altered, however, they have yet to be recognized as decisive evidence, despite significant improvements in sharpness. After all, pictures taken with a film camera cannot be altered.
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What about Japan's import/export of surveillance cameras?
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There is no category "surveillance cameras" in customs statistics, and they are included in "electrical equipments." So the exact import/export volume isn't known. But they are exported throughout the world in substantial quantities. I presume many Japanese manufacturers produce them overseas, and export them to Japan and third countries.
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What does the future hold for this product?
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There will be greater demand for remote surveillance via networks, rather than closed circuits. At the same time, systematic surveillance via closed networks will advance. Furthermore, non-security surveillance (monitoring) will expand to include a greater number of purposes. For example, to check which product is selling well, to check customer traffic and degree of crowding, to draw up hourly personnel allocation plans, and to see trends in which passers-by drop in at a shop and which don't. In short, as the scope of applications expands, the important issue will be how to enhance efficiency in using surveillance cameras.
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The future looks bright with expectations for greater use of the camera: for surveillance at an ATM in a convenience store; for anti-shoplifting at drug stores, booksellers - including large ones in suburban areas, home centers, jewelers and rental video shops; and for catching systematic cheating at pachinko parlors.
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That's right. Surveillance cameras will only become increasingly advanced. Black and while pictures are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. With the debut of 1/4" models, CCDs are increasingly compact. Image quality is improving. And we even have "stealth" cameras that can shoot in the dark. So, you'll have more advanced technology and broader applications. |
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