Venezuelan create software to detect hostile behavior – El Universal (Venezuela)

If someone raises a leg suspiciously. If you move an arm cuff can become in just seconds. Or if you lift the leg with the intent of harming others. This can be detected by a computerized system developed by two Venezuelan engineers to prevent violent events before they occur.

Although it seems unreal, it is not: Claudia Argotte and Ernesto Petit, together with the advice of Professor Mark Seijas, they developed a software able to detect hostile behavior using a webcam and a system of artificial intelligence.

The invention consists of a Kinect or game console without remote control, which allows the user to interact through gestures, objects, images and voice; along with a computer and artificial neural networks able to discern between different hostile movements, say the engineers, who added that “artificial neural networks were trained to identify hostile actions within the body gestures”.

Kinect is responsible for detecting and identifying the movements of the body and then the computer will process information in a graphical interface displaying the captured targets, allowing for real-time analysis.

” On the computer screen a virtual skeleton that the system used to measure, process and indentificar angles of the limbs, which are indicators that a movement is violent appears, “says Professor Seijas, adding that once the system identifies the subject, they are displayed on the computer screen with a huge red circle that allows the authorities to act on those responsible.

The idea started as a way to bring solution to the context of violence that exists today not only in Venezuela but throughout the world, because having a system that detects hostile gestures before they occur is Petit engineer, adding that people to be aware that there is a system that is watching and that before any violent movement can be captured, avoid any conduct that leads to arrest possible to prevent future incidents, he says.

The creators of the software say that this system could be used in sports stadiums, because during the game between two rival often committed many violent acts. For example: “If in a game between Deportivo Tachira and Caracas a group of subjects begins to provoke their rivals with hostile moves, they may be detected by the system, which sends an alert to the authorities become present and avoid thus a criminal act “.

The system could be improved by implementing microphones to detect the noise generated in certain situations and can also be an indication that in this area a violent incident may occur; in addition to the facial expressions of the people, who also works as an indicator of hostility that, added to the system developed by engineers, would make the system accurate to predict a violent event source.