Eye in the sky (camera)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The eye in the sky is a term given to casino and other commercial security closed circuit cameras. In casinos, they are positioned to monitor seats, tables, hallways, restaurants, and even elevators closely. The functional component is known as a pan–tilt–zoom camera, or a PTZ, an industry standard term.
The PTZ camera is covered by a semi-transparent plastic globe which makes it nearly impossible to see which direction the camera is facing from a distance. Retail stores often install empty globes, giving the appearance of additional cameras. The camera is mounted on a series of interconnected gears and levers, which usually allow two axes of rotation. This rotation can either be controlled manually by an operator using remote control, or it can be automated using motion sensing technology.[citation needed] In most commercial and civilian applications, both control methods are used simultaneously to allow automated surveillance of general movement while allowing a manual override mode to view specific subjects more closely.
