Remote Video Inspection System

The Remote Video Inspection System (RVIS) was deployed by United States in the late 1990s at select low-traffic border entry points from Canada.

The system allowed passport and customs inspections to be conducted remotely, so that low-risk travelers could enter the country during hours that the border station did not have on-site staff.

RVIS consisted of a series of pan–tilt–zoom cameras (PTZ), an amplified speakerphone, a card reader and a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD).

[6] The RVIS system never achieved its full potential because its deployment pre-dated the rollout of high speed data networking at all ports of entry, which caused the video transmission to be slow and cumbersome.

The system allows users to securely and remotely view and analyze live video feeds from multiple sources, including surveillance cameras, drones, and mobile devices.

RVIS in use at the Orient, Maine, port of entry in January 1997
RVIS at the Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing