Perspective: How Augmented Reality Will Assist (and Eventually Transform) Physical Security

Today, we are seeing science-fiction being turned into science-fact at an exponential rate. The communicator devices initially seen in the Dick Tracy comic strips of the 30s and 40s or Star Trek original series in the mid-60s eventually became the smart phones and watches we use today. In addition, when Captain Kirk would review and sign logs and reports on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, the device he would sign eventually became the iPads and tablets that are so common today. One area that within the next five years or so will also become a useful reality is augmented reality.

Augmented reality, or AR, is where a live or direct view of the physical world as a person views it is augmented (or supplemented) with computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics, or GPS data. Today, AR s used in limited capacity in such applications as projected GPS data in automobiles to various military applications in advanced jet fighters. Use of this technology is beginning to spread into popular use through video gaming as well as archaeology, architecture, visual art and consumer shopping. With AR’s capability of providing instant access to critical information and instant equipment control capabilities, the technology is beginning to find uses in a variety of business applications.    

One area where AR can impact business applications is in the realm of physical security. While, according to industry experts, AR is still at least 3 to 5 years out from widespread applications in this area, the technology does offers at least four main benefits that will assist and transform how physical security is conducted in the future:

• Access information and project anywhere – Instead of being tied to a computer monitor, tablet or loads of paper plans, drawings and diagrams, a wearer will be able to walk around and project information and images onto any surface. In addition, instead of having to go to an office or log into a computer network in the middle of the night, a security supervisor will be able to put on the headset and instantly project images or pictures onto the local surroundings to gain an improved situational awareness. For instances, wearers will be able to project images of access control or video camera diagrams, cable network or video footage over any door or window in a facility for assessment purposes.
• X-ray vision and gaze tracking - Security personnel will be able to instantly “see” network cables, pipes, and security equipment normally embedded in walls, floors or ceilings by accessing previously made videos. Vision through walls can be achieved by accessing real-time feeds from other cameras inside another adjoining room, thus allowing the wearer to “see” what is on the other side of the wall.
• Precise GPS-like indoor positioning – AR will automatically notify a dispatcher or command center of the location of the wearer. Not only will this provide accurate SITREP detail, but will also aid in reducing radio chatter normally required to inform of a security officer or team’s location. It will allow directions to be received via the wearer’s headset from the command center, enabling more accurate dispatch and assessment of alarms and direction of responders to intervene and disrupt a threat along the adversary path prior to reaching the critical point. This is also important during incident response where a chaotic situation can be viewed remotely and decisions affecting response can be made rapidly and effectively with an increased amount of certainty as video, 3D mapping and other data will be instantly and readily available.
• Capture of 3D photos and video – Video captured from the wearer’s headset can instantly be transmitted to both the command center as well as to other members of a security or response team. This also aids in dispatch, assessment, and incident response as real time data will be actioned almost instantly, allowing the time required for decision-making, plan changes, or response resource allocation to be rapidly reduced. This also improves situational awareness for security personnel as video captured during foot or vehicle patrols can instantly be assessed at a command post and suspicious environments can be investigated/support to the patrol can be dispatched quickly and efficiently to meet the level of a potential threat.  Further, as the wearer moves around a location, AR will permit the development and/or update of 3D maps of the local environment, further aiding situational awareness and reducing reaction time by responders. It is quite likely that 3D analytics will eventually become a camera feature for static VSS systems that will be directly and geographically linked directly to security personnel. As facial recognition software continues to improve and evolve into a more accurate tool in the future, the importance of this 3D feature on wearable technology will exponentially increase. Security auditors can create a 3D layout diagram of an existing security system without the need for interpreting riser diagrams or elevation drawings and store it for future vulnerability assessment and countermeasure design and implementation and overall risk management. 

First editions of these devices (such as Vuzix M100/300, Microsoft Hololens, and Google Tango) are currently being fielded after extensive testing.  However, these AR devices are not without their limitations. Current battery length for the devices is quite limited (usually 2 to 3 hours of constant use or less than a day in standby mode). This makes it difficult to conduct thorough assessments of patrol areas or assess large facilities such as warehouses or expansive sites such as factories or college campuses. It also has a negative impact on incident responders who often have to remain in the field at remote locations for extended periods, such as plane crash sites or train derailments. Further, these devices have a limited field of view and range for 3D mapping. Wearers will have to conduct numerous mapping assessments in order to completely cover very large facilities and to keep maps current.

In addition, the current devices are heavy and bulky, which can be severely limiting in confined spaces or areas where hardhats are needed. AR control platforms cannot currently support other users accessing the devices simultaneously within the same space (i.e., within the same room). These devices can only be used indoors due to the limitations on the lasers they rely on and the current generation of software is quite limited and must be further refined/optimized. The pace of this optimization will be slow initially as firms only now enter the AR/VR field with little or no experience. Thus costs will remain high until the level of user demand becomes sufficient to force software upgrades and drive down prices. Perhaps the most important limitation from a security perspective is the network interface needed to operate the device to its full potential. Securing the network against unauthorized use and capture of the data will also be a challenge as these devices progress toward full utilization in the physical security realm.  However, these limitations will only serve to slow, not stop, the utilization of AR in various aspects of physical security.