Application of Video Technology in Museums

Advantages of Surveillance

Video surveillance in a museum is subject to certain requirements. Compliance with data protection, which is independently governed by individual states or countries and is subject to interpretation, is essential. The recording of people in monitored areas or the storage of recordings over a period of time is not permitted.

This is where the Human Detector technology provides the edge. The Human Detector technology reliably detects when a visitor for example touches an exhibit or enters a podium. The system automatically directs a PTX camera towards the relevant exhibit.

This procedure comprises a number of advantages.

• Costs are reduced - larger exhibition rooms can be completely monitored with fewer cameras.
• There are no conflicts arising from data protection issues. Any physical contact or touch of exhibits is a clear violation of house rules and can therefore be recorded and investigated.
• Security staff can simultaneously be informed of the incidence and attend to the scene.

Protection of Exhibits with Video Technology

Not all protection requirements in museums and collections are easily solved with the Human Detector technology. This is for instance the case with large and heavy statues of non-conductive material like marble or granite. In addition other thick-walled mural reliefs and protruding wooden objects, often found in ethnological collections, require special protection.

Touching or approaching the large objects is detected via video analysis and processed by the downstream Human Detector technology.

However, the process of implementing video surveillance in museums should commence with thorough expert consultation, in order to achieve required tasks, compliance with legal requirements and establish costs.

We would be very happy to provide further advice and a no obligation quotation. For your first consultation contact us now on

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