We sat down—remotely of course—to chat with Ray Mahbubbi, who represents Petawise, a Uniview partner, for an educational session on the now and the future of facial recognition and smart security.
Uniview is at the cutting edge of facial recognition technology. Their cameras are unrivaled when it comes to durable, razor-sharp systems. Monitoring capacity, body temperature, and activity of people in the public and private sectors is an artform for Uniview.
Acoustic Architects: How did you team up with Uniview?
Ray Mahbubbi: After a few years of working with Uniview, I saw zero replacements, no faulty parts, and just a really impressive product. So, I sold my own integration company to represent Petawise, the only company that carries Uniview technology exclusively.
Tell us about the history of Uniview.
The company is currently 15-years old. It is a privately-owned company, with the highest quality technology in China. All of the competitors are owned by the Chinese government, and right now the US has sanctions against the two main competitors. So this positions Uniview really well in the marketplace.
What sets your company apart from competitors in the security industry?
Due to a focus on research and development, backed by a large investment, we have the highest conversion rate of patents in the world. Ours is the only security camera company that has passed GDPR compliance, which means we are successful in keeping all information going through the camera systems completely private. The client is the only person who has access to the information and therefore they are not vulnerable to a breach of privacy.
Smart Security Technologies
What is the range of camera equipment your company produces?
The range is vast, with the technology being developed for enterprise and governmental entities, but it can be easily scaled to residential dwellings.
What is the most clandestine camera Uniview makes?
That would be the Wedge Mini Dome camera. It has its own microphone, sharp imaging, and excellent nighttime performance.
You are now in the facial recognition game, which cameras have those capabilities?
All Uniview cameras have facial recognition capabilities, so it is easy to add that as an option. They are engineered for an enterprise-level during production, which makes scaling them back for residential properties really easy, but also means they are extremely solid.
How are the cameras powered, and are there instances when they would lose their power?
The cameras are powered over Ethernet and connected to Cat5/6 cables. If the internet is offline, the cameras are still working. The only thing that causes them to go down is a power outage, but we recommend a battery backup system to avoid that. There is no way to get past our security cameras if the integrator follows our advice on how to install the system properly so it can’t be disabled or hacked.
Smart Cities
Uniview is the leader in smart city technology. Can you give us the news on this?
Currently, in Buenos Aires, all train stations and bus terminals in the city are using our temperature detection. There are over 6000 cameras downtown in public places, which can detect criminal activity. We also have a Smart City presence in downtown Seoul, South Korea in addition to many cities around the world. It is something that may come to the U.S. market in the future.
How do these cameras affect the populations?
They take a lot of stress off the police force and there hasn’t been any pushback from the citizens. We’ve seen a dramatic decrease in crimes including robbery and sexual assault. The implementation has changed the social system in a good way.
How might facial recognition cameras benefit parents of small children?
The systems can track criminals and pedophiles. Criminal records are entered into the database for the area system, so if a person with a record goes into the public, they are immediately tracked and watched. If they go into an area where they are not supposed to be, an alert is sent to onsight security.
Parents can also be loaded into a school or care center database, and register by facial recognition and/or get QR code sent to their phone. This allows people to be proactive, especially during the current pandemic because they can use their phone QR code or face recognition rather than touch entry.
Battling the Pandemic
Tell us about your thermal measurement technologies.
Accuracy is very important, and Uniview has the most accurate lineup of temperature measurements. Our technology has gone through extensive testing. We are currently the only company with an app that sends notifications when thermal activity has been detected.
How is this helpful for businesses right now during the pandemic?
With our technology, businesses can avoid placing an employee at the entrance to take temperatures. Uniview kiosks record temperatures as a person enters a building. A notification gets sent to the employee in charge in the event of an elevated temperature, or if maximum capacity is exceeded.
Currently, over 600 universities in China and 37 elementary schools in Paris are using the technology. We’ve also implemented these devices in 70 countries worldwide. Additionally, one of the highest luxury towers in South Beach, Miami, had it installed at their entrance and we are now in discussion about placing it in their gyms and common areas.
Looking Ahead
What does the future of smart security look like?
Human detection cameras. Right now cameras to replay an event that has already happened. New cameras will be activated by human detection and facial recognition, and feedback information in real-time. Cameras will have a safelist in their database. They’ll recognize human activity then send a notification through an app.
For example, a homeowner or person in charge of security for a company will be able to speak through their phone to say “Please step away from the gate or the police will be sent over.” Or, whatever they choose to say. We are having a lot of fun with the scenarios. But if an employee or visitor comes, they’ll be registered in the database, so access is easily granted.
The cameras will also be able to time-stamp entry points. This type of technology is useful for companies in staff management of time. Therefore, eliminating badging in or timesheets.
The Acoustic Architects Connection
When did you first meet Acoustic Architects?
Our Crestron representative introduced us. He had seen the product and thought it would be a great match. I did a presentation for them in January of 2020. I immediately got on well with the team, and we developed the relationship.
How are you and Acoustic Architects working symbiotically to meet each other’s needs?
We offer dedicated support, set aside coaching with system engineers, and make sure they have case studies to present when selling products. I also contact developers, architects, and interior designers, and show them the Uniview products.
What do you value the most about collaborating with Acoustic Architects?
They are one of the very few integrators in Florida that can pull off this technology. With their fresh innovative open-minded mentality, they are basically the Silicon Valley of the industry. After careful review of their business, reputation, and references, we chose Acoustic Architects and approached them. That is the only way anyone can partner with us. It is a no-strings-attached partnership.
What is your favorite smart product currently on the market?
Crestron Home. It offers a smooth integration for Uniview cameras, pairing well with the new Active cameras for human detection. So the owner can go up to touchscreen or phone, use voice commands over the camera intercom, and talk to the intruder.
Responsive Living, the term coined by Acoustic Architects founders, Aaron Flint and Spencer Hauldren, is the concept of seamlessly enhancing the client’s unique lifestyle using smart home technology. Responsive Living allows you to interact with your space via touch input, voice command, and predictive automation, placing you in full control of your home.
If you would like to learn more about facial recognition and smart cameras for your home, feel free to connect with us. We will be happy to schedule a demo with you.
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