Surveillance system can pinpoint falling objects

Chinese electronics giant Hisense Group says it has developed an advanced surveillance system to monitor falling objects or objects thrown from heights that works better than traditional surveillance cameras.

"When the system finds an object falling from a height in a residential area, it can automatically trace its arc and locate the exact window it came from," said Sun Yongliang, a senior manager in charge of smart city projects at Hisense TransTech, a subsidiary of Hisense Group.

"At the same time, the system can notify security staff or the residential area's administrators," Sun said on Monday.

He said the system performs better than traditional surveillance cameras, which usually require a video to be played back to locate where the item came from.

"Thanks to the algorithm, the system can also get rid of normal incidents, such as rain water or unintentional acts," Sun added.

The system is expected to be applied soon in five communities in the Shinan district of Qingdao, Shandong province, where Hisense Group is headquartered.

In recent years, strong winds knocking objects from tall buildings or some people intentionally throwing objects out of windows has become a huge safety concern. However, such incidents usually happen without witnesses, and it's hard to punish those responsible.

Lian Junpeng, Party chief of the Tianshan community in Shinan, is looking forward to the new surveillance system being installed in the city.

"The surveillance cameras assure residents that their safety is more guaranteed than before," he said.

Hisense Group said the development of the system is part of joint efforts with partners to build a smart city demonstration zone in Shinan district, ranging from culture, tourism and residential administration to industrial park operation. The comprehensive project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.