Researchers at Carnegie Mellon announced they have created a method for tracking the locations of multiple individuals in complex, indoor settings simply by using a network of video cameras located throughout the building.
Last week, Alexander Hauptmann, Shoou-I Yu and Yi Yang announced the algorithm they created that will tack people's movements in real time on a map. Several people, including the researchers themselves, have compared the project to the Marauder's Map found in the Harry Potter book and movie series.
In the books, the map tracks the movements of every student and teacher at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The real-life version can track a person's movement from one camera to another in order to estimate his or her position in the room. When a person is in the camera network's blind spot, it is able to display a general region of where he or she is standing, a task previously impossible for computerized systems is now made possible by this algorithms development.
Despite its ability to conjure up the mischievous map in Harry Potter, which could only be opened when the person using it said the words "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," the researchers behind this invention do not want it being used in the wrong hands and recognize its potential for misuse.
The system was developed using camera footage from a nursing home in order to check on the health of the residents.
"The goal is not to be Big Brother, but to alert the caregivers of subtle changes in activity levels or behaviors that indicate a change of health status," Hauptmann said.
The Huffington Post reports the researchers, Haupttmann, Yu and Yang recognize the system's potential to be used in complicated and advanced security situations. The introduction to the full version of the document reads: "The Marauder's Map, which locates and tracks friends and enemies of Harry Potter in the magical world, is also invaluable in real world surveillance scenarios."
