Axon (brand)

Axon is a business unit of TASER International that develops body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, cloud-based digital evidence management software, and other technology for law enforcement and prosecutors. Though the name had been used since 2009 for Taser's body cameras, the expanded business unit was announced on June 18, 2015 in a video recording of Taser International CEO Rick Smith.

History

Taser's first video recording device, the TASER CAM, was limited in what it could capture because it only recorded what the Taser weapon was pointed at.^[1] In 2009, the first-generation Axon camera, the Axon Pro, was introduced.^[2] In addition to the cameras, Taser also introduced Evidence.com, a cloud-based digital evidence service. Hadi Partovi, who joined the TASER board in 2010,^[3] is credited with helping to guide the development of Evidence.com.^[4] In 2013, Taser acquired the team of photo-sharing service Familiar to work on Evidence.com.^[5] Since that time, Marcus Womack, the CEO of Familiar, has been promoted to General Manager of Evidence.com (now Axon).

In 2015, the new Axon brand was announced,^[6] and a new Axon office was opened in Seattle.^[7] Axon's line of products has expanded to include mobile applications, in-car video systems, interview room cameras, and forensic software.

Hardware

Axon Pro

Taser's original body-worn camera, the Axon Pro, was introduced in 2009.^[2] The camera consists of three components, a head-mounted camera, a controller, and a monitor to review video recordings.^[8]

Second-Generation Body Cameras

The second generation of Axon body cameras were simpler in form and function than the Axon Pro, removing the bulky monitor in favor of pairing with mobile phones. Many of the features introduced in these cameras,^[9] such as the pre-event buffer, a method of capturing video from before the record button was pressed, have become common requirements in body-worn camera requests for proposal. The Axon Flex and Body only record video in standard definition (SD).

Axon Flex

The Axon Flex, a point-of-view camera, was released in 2012. The Flex camera system consists of a camera attached to an external battery pack / controller. In contrast to the Axon Pro, the Axon Flex does not have a screen to play back video. Instead, Taser offers a mobile application (Axon View) that connects to the camera using Bluetooth. Like the previous model, Axon Flex videos are stored in Evidence.com, Taser's cloud-hosted evidence management system. The camera features multiple mounting options, including a mount for Oakley, Inc.'s Flak Jacket® eyewear, in addition to collar, epaulette, ball cap, and helmet mounts.^[10]

Axon Body

In 2013, Taser released the Axon Body, a single-unit camera similar in function to the Axon Flex. It features a wider field-of-view than the Flex, and also has simpler mounting options than the two-piece Flex. Although simpler, the body-mounted camera will not track what the officer is looking at as accurately as one mounted on the head.

Third-Generation Body Cameras

Axon Body 2

Redesigned and rebuilt on an Ambarella system-on-chip (SoC) video chip, the Axon Body 2 camera features full high-definition (HD) video, wireless activation, and other improvements over the original Body.

Axon Flex 2

The Axon Flex 2, announced October 11, 2016, is an upcoming point-of-view camera slated to begin shipments in December, 2016.^[11] Like its predecessor, the Flex 2 consists of a camera attached to an external battery pack / controller. The new camera will feature a wider field of view (120 degrees vs. the Flex's 75 degrees), HD video, and other improvements over the original model.

Other Cameras

In addition to body-worn cameras, Axon also offers interview room and in-car video systems. These cameras, like the body cameras, integrate with the Evidence.com digital evidence management system.

Axon Interview

Through the acquisition of MediaSolv, a competing video solutions provider, Taser introduced an interview room solution that integrates with their cloud-based digital evidence system.^[12] The interview room system includes a touchscreen panel that controls the cameras and microphones in the room.

Axon Fleet

Axon Fleet is an upcoming in-car video system announced in October, 2015. It features front- and rear-facing cameras with pre-event buffering, and HD video.^[13]

Software

Evidence.com

Evidence.com is a cloud-based digital evidence management system that allows police departments to manage, review, and share digital evidence, particularly video evidence captured with Axon-brand cameras.^[2] Evidence.com's features include an automated redaction tool (known as Smart Tracker), audit trails for chain of custody purposes, and functionality to share evidence with prosecutors and others.^[14]

Evidence Sync

Evidence Sync is a desktop application that allows law enforcement officers to review and upload evidence from hardware devices and local files. It is also used to upload logs from Taser weapons to Evidence.com. Although primarily intended to work with Evidence.com, it can also be used in offline mode to directly access files, if the agency prefers.

Evidence.com for Prosecutors

Evidence.com for Prosecutors is a free version of Evidence.com specifically for prosecutors to receive and manage incoming digital evidence.^[14] It features much of the same functionality as the law enforcement version of the product.

Axon View

Axon View (formerly named Axon Mobile) is a mobile application that can be paired with an Axon body camera to review, tag, and stream videos from the camera.^[15]

Axon Capture

Axon Capture (formerly named Evidence Mobile) is a mobile application that can be used to capture audio, photo, and video evidence and upload it to Evidence.com using an officer's mobile phone.^[16]

Axon Signal

Axon Signal is a technology that triggers Axon cameras to record when certain events occur.^[17] These events include:

• Light bar, weapon rack, and door detection in a vehicle with an Axon Signal Unit, a hardware device that emits signals
• Arming a Taser weapon

This technology is currently the subject of a lawsuit between Taser International and a competitor, Digital Ally.

Axon Forensic Suite

Through partnership with Amped Software, Taser offers a set of products for processing and analyzing photo and video evidence:

• Axon Convert: An image conversion tool that converts videos from proprietary formats (such as from CCTV cameras) into playable formats.
• Axon Five: A software application that can enhance and analyze images and videos for police investigations.
• Axon Detect: A photo analysis tool that can detect tampering and photo manipulation.

Controversy

Privacy concerns

With the introduction of body cameras, some members of the media have raised concerns about the privacy of members of the public recorded by the cameras.^[18][19] Much of the discussion centers around policy for recording and storing the videos. Experts at the American Civil Liberties Union have proposed specific body camera policies that they believe will benefit the public provided that "cameras primarily serve the function of allowing public monitoring of the government."

DigitalAlly lawsuit

Digital Ally filed a patent lawsuit claiming that Axon Signal technology infringes on their own auto-activation patents,^[20] and later added claims accusing Taser of bribing public officials in Salt Lake City and Albuquerque to influence body camera contracts.^[21][22][23] After the claims in Albuquerque, Taser issued a statement denying wrongdoing but adjusting their policies to implement "a one year cool-off period for consulting engagements with any former law enforcement officials" to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Though Taser has challenged the patent, the lawsuit is currently in the process of being litigated.

References