Eye in the sky
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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, often with enough clarity to read the time on the watch of a player at a table. They are also known as a Pan Tilt Zoom camera, or a PTZ, an industry standard term.
The 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[citation needed] 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 can be automated using motion sensing technology. In most commercial and civilian applications, both control methods are used simultaneously to allow automated surveillance of general movement, while allowing a manual over-ride mode to view specific subjects more closely.
