This article originally appeared in the February 2025 issue of Security Business magazine. Feel free to share, and please don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter.
The resulting modular camera system can include up to four camera modules. Each module contains a completely factory-sealed camera sensor for dome, bullet, or multisensor applications. It includes a Network Hub, which is a sealed PoE hub that can support up to four sensors from one network drop. The sensor module is Zigbee-enabled for communication with Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
In addition to the innovative modular design, let’s run down some of the basics: 8MP imager, vandal-resistance, AI analytics, cloud-ready and can be integrated with common enterprise VMS, 120 dB WDR, and H.264 and H.265 compression.
The 8MP sensor is a 1/1.8 image sensor – almost double the size of most 8MP cameras, possibly making it the largest and most sensitive starlight sensor on the market. It is built on the Hailo chipset, with all of the AI Analytics custom-written and running natively on the camera. One of those analytics is AI De-Noise, which takes a grainy low-light picture and automatically tunes the camera for a noise-free, color image in as low as 0.02 lux.
Its PTRZ lens positioning enables a fixed camera to act like a PTZ. While most PTRZ cameras on the market support 250-500 “rolls” over the camera's lifetime, Vicon’s camera supports 5000 “rolls” – meaning the camera can be moved twice a day, every day, through its five-year warranty and still have a lifespan to the PTRZ function. This allows the camera to be installed by anyone and set up by offsite personnel, either the integrator or the end-user.
Modular Signals Potential Industry Shift
Such modular capability is a game-changer for the security industry and is surely a tech trend. In this product’s case, it enables an integrator to create a multisensor camera using two, three, or four single sensors instead of a pre-consolidated single dome. Admittedly I had some struggles with how this would work, but the configuration enables the multisensor to be tailored to any use-case using any combination of cameras and even IoT sensors.
This all led to a product that can be fully installed in less than 5 minutes by a technician at any skill level. All it requires to be fully functional at that point is to remotely connect to the camera, and then position it to the desired field of view (FOV). One camera to do it all; one part to keep in stock.
With this introduction, I believe modular cameras will become the hottest new form factor, and others will follow in making single camera sensors that can be installed everywhere – as a single dome, bullet, or multisensor application. Integrators will find they can install it in less time with varying levels of skilled talent, with reduced truck stock, savign them money.
Once the integrator channel accepts this shift to modular systems, it will be only a matter of time before other manufacturers pivot to incorporate these concepts into their designs.
