Brijot scans the market

ORLANDO, Fla.--Brijot Imaging Systems became the latest camera provider to enter the security space in April, launching the company at ISC West with a concealed weapons detection product. Based on technology developed by Lockheed Martin, its flagship product, the Brijot Imaging Systems Weapons Detection System, is a millimeter wave camera and full-motion video camera used to detect knives, bombs or guns. The product is designed to detect materials often used in weapon construction, including metal, ceramics and hard plastics. Brian Andrew, president, chief executive officer and chief technical officer at the company, said it is too early to say exactly what the audience for this product will be. Initial interest has come from arenas, cruise line operators and corporations. As the price for the product drops, the wider its customer base should expand. The BIS-WDS Prime is sold through distributors and systems integrators, and has a retail price of $60,000. Slated to start shipping this month, the company logged $100 million worth of wholesale orders for the product by March, according to Andrew. "Right now, since it's a brand new product, early adopters are those that the price doesn't matter," said Andrew. What separates Brijot's technology from other surveillance camera providers is that its technology is not intrusive, both visually and physically, according to Andrew. Whereas the BIS-WDS Prime can be mounted out of view from a distance up to 45 feet away, people will not know they are being observed. On the other hand, metal detectors, in order to operate effectively, require individuals to be in close range. Additionally, similar products for weapons detection, such as x-ray machines, omit low-levels of radiation while Brijot's product does not. By entering the intelligent camera space, Brijot positions itself squarely against competition that includes Bosch, Sony, Pelco, Panasonic, ObjectVideo and VistaScape. "What's happening in the camera market is it is breaking up into little pieces," observed industry analyst Joseph Freeman, principle at J.P. Freeman Co. "Everybody is trying to find a little piece of the pie." Some of the drivers of the smart camera market, said Freeman, include moving away from attendants observing video monitors for hours on end and reducing video storage requirements.