Rourkela: The National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) has secured a patent for an intelligent surveillance technology titled “Unauthorised Person Detection Using Thermal Imaging and Gait Recognition for Intra-Building Security” (Patent No. 580748; Application No. 202331058606).
The system has been developed by Samit Ari, Professor in the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, along with research scholar Mohammad Iman Junaid, and M.Tech graduates Narayan Prasad Sharma and Irshad Ali from NIT Rourkela. It introduces a next-generation solution to address the challenge of monitoring unauthorised access in large and complex building environments.
Conventional CCTV camera-based surveillance systems require extensive manual monitoring and analysis, making them inefficient and prone to human error. In large setups, tracking individuals across multiple cameras is difficult, particularly under varying lighting conditions and occlusions.
To address these limitations, the NIT Rourkela research team developed a fully automated, non-intrusive system capable of detecting, identifying, and tracking individuals using thermal imaging technology. Developed with the support of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), India, under Grant No. CRG/2019/001414, the innovation is designed to monitor suspicious activities. The integrated thermal imaging technology helps distinguish humans from the background due to reduced infrared noise and enables accurate detection even in low-light conditions.
To achieve this, the research team used human gait as a biometric identifier, recognising individuals based on their unique walking patterns and thereby reducing the need for manual monitoring. When a person enters a restricted area, the system compares their walking pattern with those of authorised individuals. If no match is found, it flags the individual as suspicious and alerts security personnel.
The team has developed a working prototype consisting of three thermal cameras connected to a central server via USB interfaces. The system detects unauthorised individuals at entry, tracks their movement across multiple checkpoints, maintains a temporary database for unknown individuals, and determines entry and exit patterns based on movement direction. If an individual exits the restricted area, their temporary record is cleared, while historical data is retained for future reference and forensic analysis.
Speaking about the key features of the technology, Samit Ari said, “Developed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.90 lakh, the system uses thermal imaging for low-light and night-time operation, along with gait-based identification for non-intrusive biometric recognition. Automated multi-camera tracking enables seamless monitoring across locations, supported by centralised data processing for logging and database management.”
The system has wide-ranging applications across academic institutions, corporate campuses, and defense and high-security setups where reliable identification is critical. It is also suitable for deployment in industrial and R&D facilities to enhance monitoring and safety. Additionally, its ability to operate effectively in nighttime and low-visibility conditions makes it ideal for surveillance in challenging environments.
Speaking about its potential applications, Ari added, “The system can be used to minimise dependence on manual surveillance, thereby improving operational efficiency. It supports faster and more accurate threat detection, allowing timely responses to potential risks. Designed to perform reliably in challenging conditions such as low visibility and complex environments, it also enhances forensic investigations through the availability of stored gait data for analysis and identification.”
As the next step, the research team is seeking potential industry collaborations to bring the technology into real-world deployment, particularly in security-sensitive sectors.
With its focus on developing sustainable solutions to real-world challenges, NIT Rourkela remains committed to advancing research and innovation that address critical societal needs while fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government to drive meaningful and scalable impact.
