Digital Audio Surveillance

In literal terms, surveillance means watching over. It refers to monitoring activities. It is the act of observing an area. When a person is appointed as a watch guard, he is performing the art of surveillance. In a way, a manager who oversees the work of the organizations employees is also performing the art. However, in common parlance, surveillance has become synonymous with Closed circuit cameras and TVs.

Digital surveillance usually requires channels for communication medium. It also requires a device that actually performs the activity of “watching” and then digitizes the data and sends it in the form of electronic signals via the communication channel to the storage medium. Digital surveillance uses technology to observe, see or listen to things that might be distantly situated.

Eavesdropping into conversations by use of microphones, tapping of telephone lines, “bugs” or hidden listening devices are the devices used for surveillance in the form of audio waves. On the other hand, the rotating camera heads that seem to be staring at our every movement, the silently lying camouflaged lens and the commonly uses closed circuit televisions in departmental stores are the devise used for viewing a certain geographical area for movement.

You must have seen the closed circuit television cameras in many offices. They are found in almost all sorts of commercial premises. The rooms in hospitals use it to monitor their patients lying helplessly in order to check for any sudden problems that may arise. It is used in a similar manner in some special bureau for investigation. In fact, educational institutes have started to use closed circuit television cameras too. This enables the authorities to keep an eye in the premises for those little infants who might be lost and also the naughty ones trying to “bunk” classes for more leisure activities.