When recording video ultimately used as evidence, it is important to attain the most complete and unobstructed images possible. Video recorded from the officer’s field of view (eye-level) assures recording of what the officer sees regardless of his stance and torso location.
The bladed stance as taught to officers, by design, points his chest away from the active situation. In addition, chest-worn video may be blocked by any number of obstacles and miss much of the critical evidence. For more details, check out SmartGLASS from Stalker.
Top 10 reasons for using an eye-level worn video system vs. chest-worn video:
1. SmartGLASS records what the officer sees.
Unlike chest-worn video cameras, SmartGLASS records from the officer’s field of view. When an officer is in the “bladed stance”, chest-worn video is facing away from the subject. In addition, chest-worn video can easily be blocked and miss much of the critical evidence.
2. SmartGLASS automatically uploads recorded video.
At the conclusion of a video recording, SmartGLASS automatically and wirelessly uploads to secure Cloud storage through a Wi-Fi hotspot connection
without officer interaction.
3. SmartGLASS is hands-free.
In addition to being operated by the touchpad, SmartGLASS can also be activated by voice commands. Commands such as “activate CopTrax”, “record video”, “take a picture”, “search Google”, and many more keep hands free. SmartGLASS can also receive wireless start/stop recording commands when used with the companion CopTrax In-Car Video System.
4. SmartGLASS streams live video.
With an active Wi-Fi connection, live, streaming video with embedded GPS and metadata can be viewed as it happens on the CopTrax Command & control Center Dashboard for real-time situational awareness.
5. SmartGLASS records wide-angle view.
The 2.5mm high-definition lens records a wide-angle field of view. The 72° view of is far superior to the cropped image of many body-worn cameras on the market.
6. SmartGLASS can automatically initiate recording.
When used with the companion CopTrax In-Car Video System, pre-set triggers can begin recording without officer interaction. Such triggers include initiating CopTrax, lightbar activation, siren, speed, and many more.
7. SmartGLASS saves money.
By automatically uploading recorded video to secure Cloud storage, there is no labor-intensive data transfer or costs associated with portable storage devices and in-house servers.
8. SmartGLASS preserves chain of custody.
Wireless, automatic upload maintains chain of custody by assuring the video is untouched by human hands. In addition, powerful back-end file collection by the CopTrax Command & Control Center Dashboard stores all video in one location for secure evidence management, easy access, and searchable archiving.
9. SmartGLASS gives real-time communication.
Text-to-speech messages may be sent to the device and heard by the wearer using Bone Conduction technology through a transducer that sits beside the ear or by an earbud connected to the device.
10. SmartGLASS is a full-functioning wearable computer.
The device includes a built-in liquid crystal display, touchpad, wide-view camera, microphone, full-functioning CPU, memory, USB, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. In the future, apps such as LPR (License Plate Recognition) and Drivers License checks will be accessible through the SmartGLASS display.