i-PRO’s new High Zoom Bullet camera offers ‘more intelligent vision,’ CPO says

TOKYO—i-PRO Chief Product Officer Gerard Figols describes the launch of the company’s new lineup of High Zoom Bullet cameras as an opportunity to “see where we were not able to see before.” 

Figols unveiled the new line of advanced edge artificial intelligence (AI) cameras during the final day of i-PRO’s Global Press Summit in Tokyo, citing its ability to offer “a sharper, a more intelligent vision.”  

“Why? Because we are expanding the coverage of this camera,” he noted.  

Figols pointed out a few key features, the first being the camera’s long-distance vision and high image quality, fueled by an integrated gyro sensor that improves image stability during long-range zoom operations, reduces vibration and ensures sharp images, even in challenging conditions. The cameras offer 10x and 30x zoom options, with long-range (up to 250 m/820 ft) infrared (IR) LED capabilities for low-light or nighttime conditions. 

“Why can we do that? Because we have a very sophisticated higher LED, we just adapt the power of the LED depending on the distance,” he explained.  

In addition, the cameras feature what Figols terms “powerful edge AI computing” for object detection. The X-series models of these new cameras feature an Ambarella CV52 SoC (system-on-chip) that incorporates nine pre-installed edge applications, enabling enhanced object detection, AI on-site learning and smarter incident detection in all conditions.  

“We keep with our philosophy we have seen these days that the cameras are more edge-computing devices than just a camera, so we bring the power to the edge following the industry trends,” he said.  

Figols noted that “one of the powerful and unique things about X-series cameras is the ability to add AI analytics to non-AI network cameras, including cameras from other manufacturers, or what he calls “bringing the past to the future.” Each X-series camera can collect AI metadata from up to three additional non-AI camera streams, which gives advanced situational awareness to legacy cameras in difficult-to-reach areas. 

Another important feature of these new cameras is their license plate recognition (LPR) capabilities that can capture plates at high speeds of up to 130 km/h during the day or night, thanks to software provided by Vaxtor, a developer of video analytics products and solutions with a focus on LPR.  

“The camera has been optimized to be an LPR-ready camera,” he said. “It has some special features and functions, and with Vaxtor already in it, you get the best outcome from an LPR camera.”