On 2 July 2024, the Johanniter Research & Innovation Centre, with the help of a group of kind and motivated volunteers, organised the first pilot of the PRECRISIS Project.
To test the AI-based video analysis component of this project, the team simulated and filmed a full-fledged public event – a barbeque – in the parking lot of the Centre’s premises in Vienna. As part of the simulation, the event was “interspersed” and filmed from five camera angles – with violent acts, crimes, dangerous situations and other anomalous and suspicious behaviour.
From trespassing to an active shooter situation, the organisers covered a range of different situations that can occur at public events. Before the event, all participants were informed about the project and the aim of the pilot test. The participants were warned that violence would be simulated and toy weapons would be used and were asked to react as naturally as possible to the situations.
The outcomes of the pilot session were very encouraging. The video recordings will be analysed using artificial intelligence (the PRECRISIS video analysis tool) to test how accurately the algorithm can recognise and indicate the potential dangers. The ultimate goal of the video analysis tool is to flag the locations and people involved and alert law enforcement or security personnel to the situation. In the future, this technology could be used to recognise dangers such as terrorist attacks, other violent crimes or even mass panics at an early stage and prevent the worst from happening.
More details about the event are available in the article “Barbecuing for Public Safety” on JOAFG’s website in German.
Further pilot tests will take place in Cyprus and Bulgaria; and a second test will be carried out in Austria in the coming months to assess the improvement of the video analysis tool.
In addition to the video analysis tool, various social media tools are also being developed under PRECRISIS.
