Sara Bullock, International Sales & Marketing Director of AMG Group says, “We have had a number of enquiries from clients looking for a camera solution which is unobtrusive and fits into sensitive environments with minimal cost and effort. The solution we have developed is to embed the Panocam360 into a smoke alarm case. The smoke detector enclosure allows you to discretely place the camera in any ceiling, enabling you to covertly record an area without an intrusive camera visible to everyone.

Smokecam360 offers all the features of Panocam360; it’s a 5MP network camera, providing up to fourteen simultaneous electronic-pan-tilt-zoom (ePTZ) and panoramic video streams which may be recorded or viewed live. Multiple ePTZ allows each user to control the camera as if it was their own unique PTZ without interference to the other users. De-warping is provided within the camera, which reduces the load on the network video recorder (NVR) system. Images can be viewed from a standard web browser (IE, Chrome, Firefox etc.) so no additional software is required. Another key feature is that the camera has absolutely no moving parts, so no wear and tear, which greatly reduces the maintenance costs.”

The market for Smokecam360 is large and AMG has noticed an urgent demand for the feature/functionality the solution offers. Care homes and other environments with vulnerable individuals have been clamouring for a covert solution which allows them to monitor individuals and leisure areas efficiently. Smokecam360 outputs the full panoramic image for recording purposes, which can be combined with an integrated recording system to provide retrospective ePTZ. This effectively allows the user to go ‘back in time’ and follow subjects as if you were still viewing live. Having the full 360 degree view also means that a single camera can cover a large area thus reducing the number of cameras needed. This is quite significant development for the market the camera is directed at, as it significantly reduces the investment required. AMG has further developed a low profile housing version for transport applications.