Auto Express Magazine
March 30 2005 Driver Power Special Issue
Auto Focus In-Car CCTV
Ross Pinnock
Pictures by Mark Fagelson
I spy with my little eye something beginning with C…CCTV and it’s everywhere. What’s more, Auto Express has discovered that close-circuit television is now coming to cars. No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke; boffins in America really have invented a security camera system for vehicles. It has been created to help catch crooks and also assist with insurance claims.
Called Insight, the system is coming to the UK — and we met up with importer Martin Booker, from Electronic Product Distribution in Maidstone, Kent, to see if the gadget could help us catch a thief.
As with all the best ideas, the in-car CCTV system is simple. Four tiny digital cameras dotted about the cabin film around the clock to keep a watchful eye over your motor. All the footage is downloaded on to a memory card hidden within the vehicle. Under normal circumstances, this is overwritten on a rolling basis. However, if someone breaks into the car or enters without permission, the information is saved. In all, up to four minutes of footage can be stored — but than not the best news.
As well as including images taken after a breakin, the system can log what happened in the vital seconds beforehand. Martin said: "This pre-record facility is a clever bit, and something that has never been done before. It means you're not just getting pictures of someone running away from the car; rather, you can capture the whole event - and this makes it much more likely that you will be able to see the thief's face!"
Two of the system's cameras guard the cabin. They're fixed in the roof lining above the A-pillar, and point diagonally across the interior towards the opposite side windows. They will even catch sticky-fingered crooks peering through the glass. Another forward-facing device in the rear view mirror and one pointing backwards above the rear windscreen also check up and down the road.
We tested the system by reaching inside the open window of Martin's unattended Mercedes to steal his briefcase. Although a baseball cap did a decent job of hiding my face as I rummaged round inside, the pre-recorded images clearly captured my ugly mug as I approached the car.
As well as catching and deterring crooks, Insight can help with insurance claims. Picture quality is easily good enough to read number plates, and a pair of impact sensors built into the system's control module can trigger recording .One detects minor shocks — a window being broken, for example - while the other picks up more severe jolts such as those experienced in an accident. "If feet motorists are involved in a crash employers will be able to see how they were driving," explained Martin. "There's even a panic button on the dash in case of a road rage attack.” Needless to say, Martin wasn’t so keen for us to crash his Mercedes - so we headed out into traffic to test the panic button instead.
Tailgating close behind and waving my anger, l was an easy target. "Even if you press the button after the incident, you'll still catch the other driver thanks to the pre-record." explained Martin. Had he wanted to, Martin could have handed this damning evidence of my bad driving to the police!
If another motorist nudges you in traffic and drives off, the force might not always be enough to trigger the impact sensors. But Martin wasn't too worried. "If you're in doubt, hit the panic button," he said. “The incident will definitely be recorded." The pre-record facility captures high-quality black and white images moments before an accident — ideal for resolving a contested insurance claim.
With the four camera set-up costing 1,100 reckon business users, haulage firms and luxury car owners are Martin's most likely customers. "It's not cheap, but it’s clever," he said. If someone steals a laptop from your car, you can take pictures of the crime to the police." Cheaper installations with a single camera and no microphones are available, while one unit in the bulkhead is all that vans need.
Data stored on the memory card can be down-loaded onto a PC in the form of video playback or still photographs. Admittedly, it's of little use if the car – and its hidden black box – isn't recovered, but combined with a tracking device, Martin reckons Insight would make a formidable package.
If price really is no object, a full-colour set-up is possible, as seen in our panel (top right). "You'll even be able to buy cameras that look like screw heads soon," added Martin. Future developments could see transmitters included to send live footage of car thieves to your computer, or even the local police station. "Now that really would take the joy out of joyriding!" Martin said.
Log on to www.obsintco.uk for more details.
---------------
Image Summary:
Martin Booker (left) shows our man Pinnock tiny camera at centre of Insight car security system
CCTV camera is barely visable next to handgrab
Images captured are stored on memory card
"Even if you press the button to start recording an accident or road rage attack, the footage will still be captured because there is a pre record facility" Martin Booker, Insight Importer
Booker expects new device to cut car crime
Page 2
Candid Carmera - Close-circuit TV has made it into cars - and we see how it'll stop thieves and bad drivers in the tracks
The system in use:
Forward facing camera can show whats going on ahead... extremely useful in the event of an accident
Rear camera is mounted in the rooflining and is so small it can't be seen by tailgating motorists
Potential attacker does not even have to be in car for technology to work, as this picture shows
Offenders in road rage incidents are captured on stills or video footage...
...and high quality black and white images can then be downloaded to PC