Border security has increasingly become one of the most pressing issues within nations’ homeland security agencies. Though a controversial subject, there has been a consensus that borders must be secured humanely. A popular humanitarian solution has been the creation of smart walls. A smart wall is the use of technologies such as cameras, scanners, sensors, and radars used to prevent illicit entry, smuggling, and threats along borders. In fact last month, members of the U.S. House of Representatives formed a bipartisan Border Security Technology Caucus and approved a budget of $309 million for enhancing smart wall capabilities along the Southwest border of the country.
As nations look for ways to secure their borders, they often look to Israel as an obvious solution. In 2019, Elbit Systems of America, the U.S. subsidiary of an Israeli defense company, worked alongside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency to secure up to 200 miles of the U.S.Southwest border by building integrated fixed towers that were equipped with radars and monitors. Furthermore, Israeli smart walls have also been deployed within the European Union (EU) under the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, also known as Frontex. Last year, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and French company Airbus won a joint Frontex contract for € 50 million for maritime aerial surveillance services. Elbit also won another Frontex contract for the same amount and similar solutions.
Besides Israel’s largest defense companies, there are several promising homeland security Israeli start-ups that specialize in smart wall solutions, such as:
ODDetect: a video analytics software company for video surveillance systems, enabling automatic and autonomous real-time alerts of abnormal activities. ODDetect uses machine learning solutions to enable large surveillance systems to automatically receive relevant live alerts without the need to predefine rules for each camera. The ODDetech system generates alerts autonomously, thereby automatically building a reference routine. A real-time video feed is continuously compared to the reference routine. The mission of Oddetect is to turn surveillance cameras into autonomous sensors for real-time alerts, transforming the capabilities of real-time video monitoring.
Percepto: an on-site autonomous drone solution for critical infrastructure and industrial sites. Percepto’s autonomous Sparrow drones perform multiple missions around the clock. The solution is suitable for any large-scale operations seeking to improve security, increase productivity, and reduce safety risks and operational costs. Cawamo: an AI-based, easy-to-use, and cost-effective solution for turning security cameras into intelligent and accurate alert systems. The company offers an end-to-end surveillance solution with its pre-trained neural networks for multiple security-oriented scenarios. Cawamo aims to bring alert systems of quality typically available only to critical infrastructure facilities to the mass market at affordable prices.
Magal Security Systems Ltd.: a leading integrator of turnkey security and safety solutions, providing holistic physical and virtual platforms worldwide such as long-range surveillance radar, thermal cameras, automated gates, screening passengers and cargo solutions, and other security monitoring technologies. Magal provides complete life cycle services for integrated security projects including consulting; design; integration; project management and supervision; installation; and maintenance, support and training.
