Smart camera networks are real-time distributed embedded systems able to perform computer vision using multiple cameras. This new approach is a confluence of four major disciplines (computer vision, image sensors, embedded computing and sensor networks) and has been subject of intensive work in the past decades. The recent advances in computer vision and network communication, and the rapid growing in the field of high-performance computing, especially using reconfigurable devices, have enabled the design of more robust smart camera systems. Despite these advancements, the effectiveness of current networked vision systems (compared to their operating costs) is still disappointing; the main reason being the poor coordination among cameras entities at runtime and the lack of a clear formalism to dynamically capture and address the self-organization problem without relying on human intervention. In this dissertation, we investigate the use of a declarative-based modeling approach for capturing runtime self-coordination. We combine modeling approaches borrowed from logic programming, computer vision techniques, and high-performance computing for the design of an autonomous and cooperative smart camera. We propose a compact modeling approach based on Answer Set Programming for architecture synthesis of a system-on-reconfigurable-chip camera that is able to support the runtime cooperative work and collaboration with other camera nodes in a distributed network setup. Additionally, we propose a declarative approach for modeling runtime camera self-coordination for distributed object tracking in which moving targets are handed over in a distributed manner and recovered in case of node failure.

This thesis presents dynamic reconfiguration methods for Active Camera Networks. Active Camera Networks consist of autonomous vehicles - each one equipped with a visual sensor - communicating wirelessly with each other in order to perform surveillance tasks in a collaborative way. Recent advances in the area of robotics have led to the development of autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used to explore operational environments such as urban areas or unknown building structures. This thesis is devoted to the development of dynamic reconfiguration methods, which allow for distributed control of collaborating cameras in dynamic environments. Thus, they act self-organizing and with the least a priori information in terms of their environment. The focus is on the wide-area target acquisition of moving targets in a surveillance area. It addresses application scenarios where events unfold over a large geographic area and close-up views have to be acquired for biometric tasks such as face detection. The main problem is to coordinate numerous cameras in order to reach a system behavior that only one capture of each target is acquired.

Advances in the miniaturization and networking of microprocessors promise a day when networked computers are embedded throughout the everyday world. However, our current understanding of what such systems would be like is insufficient to bring the promise to reality. Embedded, Everywhere explores the potential of networked systems of embedded computers and the research challenges arising from embedding computation and communications technology into a wide variety of applicationsâ€"from precision agriculture to automotive telematics to defense systems. It describes how these emerging networks operate under unique constraints not present in more traditional distributed systems, such as the Internet. It articulates how these networks will have to be dynamically adaptive and self-configuring, and how new models for approaching programming and computation are necessary. Issues relating to trustworthiness, security, safety, reliability, usability, and privacy are examined in light of the ubiquitous nature of these systems. A comprehensive, systems-oriented research agenda is presented, along with recommendations to major federal funding agencies.

Deep learning networks are getting smaller. Much smaller. The Google Assistant team can detect words with a model just 14 kilobytes in size—small enough to run on a microcontroller. With this practical book you’ll enter the field of TinyML, where deep learning and embedded systems combine to make astounding things possible with tiny devices. Pete Warden and Daniel Situnayake explain how you can train models small enough to fit into any environment. Ideal for software and hardware developers who want to build embedded systems using machine learning, this guide walks you through creating a series of TinyML projects, step-by-step. No machine learning or microcontroller experience is necessary. Build a speech recognizer, a camera that detects people, and a magic wand that responds to gestures Work with Arduino and ultra-low-power microcontrollers Learn the essentials of ML and how to train your own models Train models to understand audio, image, and accelerometer data Explore TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers, Google’s toolkit for TinyML Debug applications and provide safeguards for privacy and security Optimize latency, energy usage, and model and binary size

The first book, by the leading experts, on this rapidly developing field with applications to security, smart homes, multimedia, and environmental monitoring Comprehensive coverage of fundamentals, algorithms, design methodologies, system implementation issues, architectures, and applications Presents in detail the latest developments in multi-camera calibration, active and heterogeneous camera networks, multi-camera object and event detection, tracking, coding, smart camera architecture and middleware This book is the definitive reference in multi-camera networks. It gives clear guidance on the conceptual and implementation issues involved in the design and operation of multi-camera networks, as well as presenting the state-of-the-art in hardware, algorithms and system development. The book is broad in scope, covering smart camera architectures, embedded processing, sensor fusion and middleware, calibration and topology, network-based detection and tracking, and applications in distributed and collaborative methods in camera networks. This book will be an ideal reference for university researchers, R&D engineers, computer engineers, and graduate students working in signal and video processing, computer vision, and sensor networks. Hamid Aghajan is a Professor of Electrical Engineering (consulting) at Stanford University. His research is on multi-camera networks for smart environments with application to smart homes, assisted living and well being, meeting rooms, and avatar-based communication and social interactions. He is Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, and was general chair of ACM/IEEE ICDSC 2008. Andrea Cavallaro is Reader (Associate Professor) at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). His research is on target tracking and audiovisual content analysis for advanced surveillance and multi-sensor systems. He serves as Associate Editor of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine and the IEEE Trans. on Multimedia, and has been general chair of IEEE AVSS 2007, ACM/IEEE ICDSC 2009 and BMVC 2009. The first book, by the leading experts, on this rapidly developing field with applications to security, smart homes, multimedia, and environmental monitoring Comprehensive coverage of fundamentals, algorithms, design methodologies, system implementation issues, architectures, and applications Presents in detail the latest developments in multi-camera calibration, active and heterogeneous camera networks, multi-camera object and event detection, tracking, coding, smart camera architecture and middleware

As networks of video cameras are installed in many applications like security and surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and assisted living facilities, among others, image understanding in camera networks is becoming an important area of research and technology development. There are many challenges that need to be addressed in the process. Some of them are listed below: - Traditional computer vision challenges in tracking and recognition, robustness to pose, illumination, occlusion, clutter, recognition of objects, and activities; - Aggregating local information for wide area scene understanding, like obtaining stable, long-term tracks of objects; - Positioning of the cameras and dynamic control of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras for optimal sensing; - Distributed processing and scene analysis algorithms; - Resource constraints imposed by different applications like security and surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster response, assisted living facilities, etc. In this book, we focus on the basic research problems in camera networks, review the current state-of-the-art and present a detailed description of some of the recently developed methodologies. The major underlying theme in all the work presented is to take a network-centric view whereby the overall decisions are made at the network level. This is sometimes achieved by accumulating all the data at a central server, while at other times by exchanging decisions made by individual cameras based on their locally sensed data. Chapter One starts with an overview of the problems in camera networks and the major research directions. Some of the currently available experimental testbeds are also discussed here. One of the fundamental tasks in the analysis of dynamic scenes is to track objects. Since camera networks cover a large area, the systems need to be able to track over such wide areas where there could be both overlapping and non-overlapping fields of view of the cameras, as addressed in Chapter Two: Distributed processing is another challenge in camera networks and recent methods have shown how to do tracking, pose estimation and calibration in a distributed environment. Consensus algorithms that enable these tasks are described in Chapter Three. Chapter Four summarizes a few approaches on object and activity recognition in both distributed and centralized camera network environments. All these methods have focused primarily on the analysis side given that images are being obtained by the cameras. Efficient utilization of such networks often calls for active sensing, whereby the acquisition and analysis phases are closely linked. We discuss this issue in detail in Chapter Five and show how collaborative and opportunistic sensing in a camera network can be achieved. Finally, Chapter Six concludes the book by highlighting the major directions for future research. Table of Contents: An Introduction to Camera Networks / Wide-Area Tracking / Distributed Processing in Camera Networks / Object and Activity Recognition / Active Sensing / Future Research Directions

As the complexity of modern embedded systems increases, it becomes less practical to design monolithic processing platforms. As a result, reconfigurable computing is being adopted widely for more flexible design. Reconfigurable Computers offer the spatial parallelism and fine-grained customizability of application-specific circuits with the postfabrication programmability of software. To make the most of this unique combination of performance and flexibility, designers need to be aware of both hardware and software issues. FPGA users must think not only about the gates needed to perform a computation but also about the software flow that supports the design process. The goal of this book is to help designers become comfortable with these issues, and thus be able to exploit the vast opportunities possible with reconfigurable logic.