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signals to the viewer. It took a while for users to get on board, since IP cameras were expensive, and the new technology required extensive networks. However, usage increased after the first high-resolution megapixel cameras were introduced in 2002. Today, people interested in video surveillance have a wide range of choices, from lower-cost consumer cameras to professional high-tech systems. Although some people complain that society has arrived at a time when “Big Brother is watching,” it is indisputable that surveillance cameras are here to stay. They have become so simple to install that not only do they watch our schools, businesses, and cities, they are increasingly installed in apartment buildings and private homes. Enhanced with software programs and artificial intelligence (AI), today’s surveillance devices can even read license plates and recognize faces. HOW FACIAL RECOGNITION WORKS Facial recognition is a concept first explored by mathematician and AI pioneer Woodrow Bledsoe during the 1960s. As its name suggests, facial recognition concentrates on a person’s features in order to establish or verify their identity. Today, facial recognition programs allow some smartphone users to unlock their phones or make a purchase without having to swipe a credit card. The technology can also be utilized to enable people to pass through airport security without needing to stop for an ID check.

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Historical Overview of Drones and Surveillance