Cultural relics, as witnesses of history and culture to carry the essence of human societal development and wisdom. Each artifact embodies unique cultural, educational and spiritual value, making them irreplaceable and precious treasures. In cultural relic preservation, security system constitutes the most immediate and important line of defense. This responsibility not only concerns the safety of the artifacts but also holds the profound implications for cultural inheritance, the preservation of social values, and international cultural exchange.
Severe Challenges in Cultural Relic Protection
In recent years, the theft cases of artifacts has become a “Global Crisis.” In 2023, a high-profile theft scandal shocked the world, resulting in the disappearance of numerous priceless artifacts. Some losses of cultural relics were not even detected for a long time, including invaluable treasures such as gold, jewelry, and glasswork from the 15th century BCE to the 19th century. Although some suspects were accused, a large number of collections are still missing. Another theft case occurred in February 2025 at a ceramics museum abroad, where four ceramics were stolen, and seven ceramics were damaged when the thieves fled. These incidents highlighted how the rarity of cultural relics makes them prime targets for criminals.
These incidents have revealed the fatal weaknesses of the traditional security system for cultural relics – from the loopholes in the management of museum collections and insufficient surveillance coverage to the lack of technology for identifying anomalous behavior. The collapse of multiple layers of defense has provided opportunities for criminals. Traditional passive security systems are insufficient in addressing the increasingly rampant threats of theft and vandalism. To safeguard cultural relics, a smart security system with proactive threat detection and automated response capabilities is important for building an impregnable defensive wall.
Innovative Applications of New Security Technologies
Whether in museums, heritage buildings, or during large-scale cultural events, cultural relic protection sites require a comprehensive, intelligent and efficient security system to ensure the safety and integrity of artifacts. The application of new technologies will reshape the defense lines of artifact protection, building a multidimensional intelligent security network to safeguard cultural treasures.
Alarm System
The alarm system employs a variety of advanced sensors and technologies to provide comprehensive security monitoring of cultural relic protection sites. These sensors are tightly integrated with an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, enabling rapid and accurate identification of various security threats and timely alarm activation, thereby ensuring the safety of artifacts. The following are some key systems and their functions:
Infrared Sensor: Facing a continuous stream of visitors every day, cultural relic protection sites must be especially vigilant in preventing visitors from inadvertently or out of curiosity entering restricted areas, which could cause irreparable damage to artifacts. Infrared Sensors are generally installed at all major entrances and exits, beside display cases, in restricted or sensitive areas, and along important corridors and passageways. By using infrared technology to detect the body heat, these sensors can instantly identify unauthorized entry. Once the sensors detect that visitor has entered the restricted area or has crossed the safety distance set around the display cases, the system will immediately issue an alarm to notify the security personnel and also serve as a warning.
Glass Break Sensor: In cultural relic protection sites, glass facades such as large floor-to-ceiling glass display walls, glass display cases for precious artifacts, glass doors and windows on the periphery of the building are ubiquitous. These transparent and fragile glasses serve as display windows for showcasing artifacts , but they also become potential entry points for criminals. Therefore, Glass Break Sensors are designed to protect these transparent and fragile surfaces. By detecting the vibrations or sound that occur when glass in a window or door breaks, an alarm will be triggered and will notify the security personnel immediately, ensuring timely handling of potential threats and safeguarding the cultural relics.
Vibration Sensor: Display cases, supporting structures, and the artifacts are at risk of damage due to external factors, unusual movements, or environmental vibrations. Vibration Sensors can promptly issue alarms the moment any abnormal vibrations occur. Vibration Sensors are generally installed at key locations such as the edges of display cases, the fixed bases of artifacts, and the supporting structures of artifacts. Whether criminals attempt to violently move the display cases to steal the artifacts or visitors accidentally collide and cause the display cases to shake, Vibration Sensors can detect any unusual vibrations or movements in a timely manner and trigger the alarm system. This not only prevents losses of cultural relics effectively but also reminds the staff to take actions to ensure the safety and integrity of the cultural relics.
Panic Sensor: Cultural relic protection sites store countless precious cultural relics, the installation of emergency assistance buttons is of paramount importance. When theft, fire, or other sudden crises occur, staff can discreetly activate the alarm system. Therefore, Panic Sensors are often installed in key patrol locations and all entrances and exits, as these are necessary pathways along evacuation routes, ensuring rapid assistance during evacuation.
Smoke Sensor and Water Sensor: Cultural relics are not only threatened by theft or intentional damage, fire and water damage can be equally devastating. In the alarm system, various environmental monitoring sensors can provide timely potential disaster warnings. For example, Smoke Sensors can detect the early signs of a fire, providing advance warnings to protect valuable artifacts; Water Sensors can quickly detect potential water leakage problems, effectively preventing damage caused by flooding. These sensors can activate the alarm immediately upon detecting abnormalities, ensuring that prompt actions can be taken in various unexpected situations, reducing losses and ensuring the safety of people within the site.
Smart Video Surveillance and AI Video Analytics
Traditional surveillance systems have significant limitations, including reliance on security personnel to monitor surveillance footage manually for a long period of time which may lead to overlooking important details due to fatigue; Time-consuming and laborious video footage review processes; Unable to detect abnormal behaviors in a timely manner, resulting in insufficient data analysis capabilities. These limitations make traditional surveillance systems insufficient for modern cultural relic protection. Intelligent monitoring systems overcome the bottlenecks of traditional surveillance systems by integrating video capture, transmission, storage, analysis, and alarm functions into a unified system, offering the following features and advantages:
24/7 High-Resolution Monitoring: Equipped with 4K or higher resolution and 360° panoramic cameras, enabling precise, around-the-clock monitoring without blind spots. Equipped with advanced night vision capabilities, every subtle movement within the site can be captured clearly , even at night or in dimly lit environments, ensuring that artifacts are under constant and meticulous surveillance.
People Counting System: Through AI algorithms, People Counting System collects accurate data such as the number of people and density distribution within the site. It can also conduct in-depth analysis of the movement trajectories and patterns of the crowd, and even predict the trends of crowd flow changes. Based on these analysis results, administrators can plan emergency response measures in advance, optimize visitor routes, ensure visitor experience, and significantly reduce the risk of damage due to crowding and collisions.
Behavior Analysis and Instant Alert: Through AI video analysis, abnormal behaviors can be identified automatically. When intruders enter restricted areas or cross boundaries, Smart Video Surveillance will immediately capture the actions and issue alarms, notifying security personnel to handle the situation promptly. If visitor engages in abnormal behavior such as tapping on a display case or reaching out to touch an artifact, the system can also identify the target immediately.
Remote Monitoring: Administrators can access real-time surveillance footage remotely through terminal devices such as mobile phones or computers. Regardless of their location, administrators can have a comprehensive understanding of the situation within the site and handle emergencies in a timely manner.
Smart Access Control System
Cultural relic protection sites receive many visitors every day, Smart Access Control System plays a vital role in managing the entry and exit of people, as well as recording the time and identity of them. This is mainly divided into two parts: Staff Access Control and Visitor Access Control.
Staff Access Control: In key areas of the site, such as warehouses, core exhibition areas, filing rooms and administrative offices, Biometric Access Control System can be adopted. Biometric technology conducts identity management through Fingerprint Recognition, Facial Recognition, Palm Vein Technology, etc., and verifies digital identities through the unique physiological and behavioral characteristics of the human body, which can more effectively prevent identity fraud. In addition, administrators can monitor the status of the access control system through the Internet of Things (IoT) technology and view the entry and exit records anytime and anywhere.
Visitor Access Control: Turnstiles can be set up at the entrance of the museum to act as the first line of defense for visitor entry. Turnstiles can automatically recognize various valid tickets, including physical tickets and e-tickets as well as QR codes and Mobile passes, allowing visitors to enter quickly and reducing queuing time. In addition, real-time data of visitors’ entry and exit records can be uploaded to the cloud and conduct intelligent analysis for analyzing visitors flowrate and optimizing resource allocation.
Comprehensive Upgrade to Intelligence: An Immersive Experience of Innovation
In the era of rapid technological development, cultural relic protection sites have gradually transformed into “Intelligent Spaces” that integrate cutting-edge technology and cultural inheritance. By implementing various intelligent technologies, visitor experiences and the quality of visits have significantly improved. These technological applications including multimedia displays, interactive guides and real-time information services, make the protection and inheritance of cultural relics more vivid and interesting.
LED Display: LED displays break through the limitations of traditional screens. The modular design and high flexibility in screen size and shape configurations allow for customizable combinations to create large-scale visual walls or uniquely shaped interfaces. Display content can be managed remotely through cloud-based media control systems, enabling instant updates of exhibit information, guide maps, cultural relic promotional videos or even a scene that allows visitors to feel as traveling through time and space, and experiencing the historical background and cultural value of cultural relics firsthand, thus providing visitors with an immersive viewing experience.
Smart Touch Panel: Smart Touch Panels provide visitors with interactive guided tours and detailed information retrieval, transforming visitors from “passive viewing” to “active discovery”. Visitors can access the background stories, historical significance and related information of specific exhibits by touching the screen. This interactive approach enhances the learning effect and improves the overall sense of participation.
AV System: AV Systems can significantly enhance the display effect of exhibits. Equipped with 4K or above resolution projectors, it vividly displays artifact details, structures and 3D modeling and reconstructions; Paired with high-quality audio system for background music and professional narration, it immerses visitors for deeper cultural and historical understanding while creating an enriched viewing atmosphere. AV Systems also support diverse artistic events and performances, transforming cultural experiences from passive observation to dynamic interaction, making the protection and inheritance of cultural relics more engaging and impactful.
Cultural relics, as precious heritage of human civilization, are facing increasingly severe challenges of theft and damage while traditional security measures are far from sufficient. In response to these pressing threats, security systems centered on AI technology have brought groundbreaking breakthroughs to cultural relic protection. These innovations establish an “Active warning, Intelligent protection” security system that not only enables smart coordination among various security devices but also leverages big data analytics and AI algorithms to deeply identify potential risks, which effectively mitigating threats and safeguarding cultural treasures. Simultaneously, the immersive experience has revolutionized the interaction mode between artifacts and the visitors. This transformation not only enhances the audience’s sense of participation and experience, but also makes the work of cultural relic protection more meaningful and valuable.
If you are interested in Cultural Relic Protection or Events Security Solutions, please contact us by email enquiry@ensecsolutions.com or call (852) 2343 6884 for more information.