SENTRI: Robotic Gunshot Tracker

Posted 16 Dec 2004 at 22:28 UTC by steve

A USC News article describes an automated sensor control system called SENTRI (Smart Sensor Enabled Neural Threat Recognition and Identification) that can recognized the sound of a gunshot with high accuracy within a 2 block radius. When it hears a gunshot, it can automatically center the source of the sound on a video camera, dial 911, and turn over control of the camera to the police, who can use it to track the shooter. The system was developed by Theodore Berger of USC and is now being built by Safety Dynamics. It is out of the lab and 80 real-world installations are planned in Chicago, where the high-crime rates make an ideal area for pilot testing the system. Early field tests show 95% accuracy in identifying gunshots and 100% accuracy with aiming the cameras at the source. Safety Dynamics is working on other versions of the system that can identify the sound of chainsaws in protected forests, the sound of chain link fence climbing in secured facilities and the sound of diesel trucks driving near oil pipelines.