It will track people who have left bags in public buildings - and even determine whether their actions might be suspicious.

Building on existing surveillance technology, the SUBITO (Surveillance of Unattended Baggage and the Identification and Tracking of the Owner) programme does exactly what its name suggests.

Whilst standard security systems rely on security personnel to monitor video footage, the SUBITO concept uses computer technology to identify specific shapes and movements that allow an individual and their baggage to be tracked over time.

Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Leeds, David Hogg, says: "Due to increased anxieties around the threat of terrorism, the monitoring and surveillance of unattended baggage has become a top priority across the globe. By employing advanced computer technology our system will make this kind of surveillance much less prone to human error."

Using the SUBITO system, security teams could follow a suspect's movements in the minutes leading up to them leaving their bags unattended and then keep track of their whereabouts afterwards. This would minimise cost and wasted resources by cutting the number of false security alarms at places such as airports and railway stations. The system would highlight potential threats so that staff could keep a close eye on those rather than having to scan dozens of screens; this should limit the need to close down public areas unnecessarily as suspicious individuals can be watched more closely.

As part of an international consortium, the team at Leeds will develop a computer package that can detect someone leaving a bag unattended. By creating an artificially intelligent system, users should be able to determine whether someone has put a bag down for an innocent reason such as going to buy a coffee, or for something more sinister.
Under the leadership of SELEX Galileo, the SUBITO programme includes ten organisations from six European countries and is funded through the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). The consortium encompasses a diverse group of technology and implementation specialists who are all recognised experts and world-leaders in their fields.

Professor David Hogg is available for interview

Further information from:
Clare Elsley, Campuspr Ltd: tel 0113 258 9880, mob 07767 685168, email clare@campuspr.co.uk

Simon Jenkins, University of Leeds press office: tel 0113 343 5764, email s.jenkins@leeds.ac.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The consortium partners involved in the SUBITO project are: SELEX Galileo (UK), University of Leeds (UK),  ELSAG DATAMAT S.p.A (Italy), Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (France) L-1 Identity Solutions AG (Germany), Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique - LIST (France), University of Reading (UK), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland) Österreichisches Forschungs- und Prüfzentrum Arsenal Ges.m.bH (Austria) and Fiera di Genova S.p.A (Italy.)
2. The SUBITO programme has been funded by the FP7 programme under grant agreement number 218004.
3. The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Leeds is ranked 7th* in the UK for the quality of its research (2008 Research Assessment Exercise); an impressive 75% of the Faculty's research activity rated as internationally excellent or world leading. 
   
   With 700 academic and research staff and 3,000 students the Faculty is a major player in the field with a track record of experience across the full spectrum of the engineering and computing disciplines.  The Faculty of Engineering is home to five schools: civil engineering; computing; electronic and electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; process, environmental and materials engineering.
   www.engineering.leeds.ac.uk/
4. The School of Computing is ranked in the top 10 computing departments in the UK based on the quality of its research (2008 Research Assessment Exercise); an impressive 80% of research activity rated as internationally excellent or World leading.
   The School has an established track record of high quality research in the foundations of computer science and in a variety of applied and multidisciplinary settings with particular expertise in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Biological Systems and Computational & Systems Sciences. www.engineering.leeds.ac.uk/comp/
5. The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise showed the University of Leeds to be the UK's eighth biggest research powerhouse. The University is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University's vision is to secure a place among the world's top 50 by 2015. www.leeds.ac.uk