Protecting your home or business is getting easier by the day, thanks to CCTV cameras. We have advanced from just knowing that someone is invading your space to Artificial Intelligence (AI) letting you know and see the face of the intruder. All this is possible, thanks to the constant advancement of the CCTV Camera technology in most, if not all, of the current CCTV cameras. 

But that is not all. With facial recognition features, it also makes it much easier for you to know when someone shows up on your door or in the coverage of the CCTV camera. You can be alerted when your loved ones are back home, or when someone you don't know shows up at your front door

So, how do these facial recognition features of CCTV cameras work? And how are they applied? 

How facial recognition features of CCTV Cameras work?

Building a database of faces

The first step is to create a database of familiar faces. These are face’s that your CCTV needs to recognize when they show up and (not) raise any alarm. You do this by uploading the pictures of these faces to the CCTV camera or the backend NVR/XVR Server. Another way is to select the captured face images from the CCTV system and import these to the database. Most model facial recognition CCTV cameras can remember between 10,000 and 50,000 faces. 

Detecting and matching faces

CCTV cameras with facial recognition detect and match faces to your database using various techniques. Some of these include 3D modeling, video-based recognition, artificial intelligence approach, among others. These techniques compare then analyze any faces the CCTV camera captures in both video or still images. 

To do this, the camera will compare some facial features of the captured image against those in your database. These features include pose, size, shape, as well as illumination. Once the CCTV acquires the image, it will compare to images in the database using certain software.

CCTV cameras with face recognition features use both the sequential and parallel concepts. The sequential concept includes detecting the face, resizing the image to a standard size, enhancing the quality using filters, converting the image to a compatible format, then uploading the image to the database. The parallel concept, on the other hand, uploads the image and getting the face features are done simultaneously.  

Sending notification

The facial recognition CCTV cameras can send alerts under these senarios: 1) Face is recognized after comparing against the databases. These can either be the white-listed database or black-listed database; 2) Face is not recognized in the databases at all. Depending on your setting, the authorities can also be notified automatically via email, mobile app push notification and other means once the CCTV detects an intruder. 

Application of face recognition features in CCTV Cameras

Many surveillance manufacturers are integrating the facial recognition features in their CCTVs. Dahua, for example, uses this feature for a wide range of Starlight Face Recognition Camera. The camera uses the Vision Processor Unit (VPU), a state-of-the-art feature that recognizes and compares facial features in real-time. Also, it does not require any external database to work. 

Additionally, Dahua has integrated its Deep Learning Technology to the CCTV camera. This helps in enhancing the faces of any targets, which makes it easier for the camera to extract and categorize any features. The camera can categorize individuals based on features like age, expressions, gender, facial hair, or even if one has glasses. 

Dahua’s facial recognition IP camera can take real-time snapshots of individual faces, meaning it is possible to identify someone before anything happens. Also, it has 5 libraries, and its database can support up to 10,000 images. 

Hikvision, too, is using face recognition on a range of their CCTV cameras. It uses Edge Computing, a method that optimizes IP cameras through data processing and analysis. With this, their CCTV cameras can detect faces, filter false alarms, structure data of vehicles, and count people. Their 3 libraries can store up to 3GB of data, and 60,000 images. 

If you are looking for a CCTV camera with face recognition features, a Dahua or Hikvision camera will be an excellent choice. These are ideal for any entrance or exit location at home or in the office. Talk to us today. We can propose the suitable solution for your facial recognition CCTV Camera requirements.

Contributed By CCTV Camera, CCTV Camera Singapore, and Safe Box Singapore