IARPA launches project to detect complex activities using video
NewsJanuary 17, 2018
WASHINGTON. The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), an organization within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, has announced that it will mount a research effort to develop Deep Intermodal Video Activity (DIVA) to help narrow the gap between human visual perception and a computer?s ability to automatically recognize activities.
According to IARPA documents, the aim of DIVA is to advance state-of-the-art artificial visual perception and automate video monitoring. The technology could be used in such areas as detection of potential threats outside secure government facilities or in high-traffic public transportation areas.
IARPA officials believe that DIVA would be able to quickly locate an attack or identify dangers to public safety. Terry Adams, DIVA program manager, said of the program: “There is an increasing number of cases where officials, and the communities they represent, are tasked with viewing large stores of video footage, in an effort to locate perpetrators of attacks, or other threats to public safety. The resulting [DIVA] technology will provide the ability to detect potential threats while reducing the need for manual video monitoring. The technology does not track the identity of individuals and will be implemented to protect personal privacy.”
IARPA selected six performer teams using a competitive Broad Agency Announcement process to develop new cutting-edge research on DIVA. Kitware Inc. and the National Institute of Standards and Technology is tasked with collecting research data and performing independent testing of the new systems.
