Optimal Placement of Cameras to Maximize Visual Coverage using Genetic Algorithm and Harmony Search

The Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system is effective in a variety of applications, such as traffic monitoring, crime prevention and the safety of public sites. Therefore, the area coverage of CCTV which increases security and maintains cost reduction is a challenging issue. The typical camera insertion techniques, often use design techniques and trial and error experience, which require more time and cannot determine the optimal location of the cameras. In this paper, we have proposed a new method for optimal camera placement based on computer graphics, harmony search and genetic algorithms. The proposed method can enhance visual coverage, and can also increase environment safety and reduce implementation costs. In the proposed method, the map of the building is received as an input, then the proposed algorithm increases the coverage area by calculating and changing the angles of the cameras and finding the best location in the sensing area. Single point crossover and random mask crossover are used in the proposed method; single point crossover method improving the time of search and the random mask crossover method providing nearly optimal coverage. Also, the population diversification in random mask crossover method leads to an optimal global answer, which has been the main problem in the previous methods. The proposed method increases visual area coverage up to 40%.