Anti-theft and robbery: software detects suspicious gestures in stores

The human desire to avoid disasters or simply unpleasant situations is so great that it is even a source of inspiration for works of science fiction.

An example of this is the film “Minority Report” with Tom Cruise (yes, let’s say it’s a kind of “Mission Impossible” of the science fiction genre) that describes a future that technology can predict. And now, a new security software is very close to this reality.

This is because the developer Veesion created a system based on a gesture algorithm that analyzes the movement of customers inside stores, especially in pharmacies and supermarkets, and is capable of detecting when a suspicious movement – ​​that looks like theft – is made.

Once suspicious movement is detected, the software sends the recording to the smartphone of the owner or store employees, thus preventing possible theft.

But does the device replace security cameras in establishments?

No, Veesion’s intention with this tool is to complement this traditional security measure to ensure the recovery of stolen goods or money.

The solution has been attractive to retailers and, in total, the company already has more than 1,200 customers in 17 countries.

How is security software updated?

Okay, so the goal of security software is to prevent theft before it happens. But how does it identify theft gestures? Veesion’s tool works with an algorithm that “learns by itself” through a technology called deep learning.

But how does this deep learning work? The company feeds the software a series of relevant data points from video clips of suspicious gestures that it has identified and confirmed as theft.

Through trial and error, the tool learns to effectively identify the right gestures. Every two months, to keep the tool up to date and improved, the technology is fed with an over-the-air update with new qualified theft gestures.

Safety or new danger?

The use of this type of security software raises the issue of privacy and abuse of power. Regarding this, Veesion states that its tool does not perform facial or physiological recognition, it only focuses on the gesture at that moment.

This was done in compliance with guidelines from Europe, which has strict data protection laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD).