Juha Alakarhu

Designing Cameras for Trust: Imaging Requirements and Challenges in Law Enforcement

Abstract: Law-enforcement cameras are designed to document incidents and provide transparent, trustworthy evidence. Unlike consumer imaging devices, which are optimized primarily for subjective image quality, these systems must deliver true-to-life, tamper-resistant video capable of withstanding legal scrutiny. This talk examines the imaging design principles shared across law-enforcement camera platforms, from hardware choices to image-processing pipelines, and discusses the key requirements that shape their development. The role of AI is considered with particular emphasis on preserving evidentiary trust: improving usability and performance without introducing artifacts that could compromise authenticity. The talk also explores the relationship between human vision and camera capture, and why understanding the differences between the two is essential when interpreting recorded evidence. Finally, it outlines future challenges and opportunities in advancing law-enforcement imaging.

Bio: Juha Alakarhu is the VP of Imaging at Axon, leading imaging R&D at the company’s Finland office. His expertise spans camera system development for body-worn and in-car devices, fixed video deployments, drone imaging programs, and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR). Juha also spearheads the development of new technologies and product concepts, them from prototyping to production. Additionally, he focuses on the human visual system and the discrepancies between recorded video evidence and human perception.

Previously, Juha held senior imaging roles at Nokia and Microsoft, where he contributed to pioneering smartphone technologies including oversampling, optical image stabilization, advanced image processing, and virtual reality. He holds a PhD from Tampere University of Technology and serves as an advisor to imaging companies, including Polight and Eyeo imaging.