Home Video Surveillance: Addressing False Motion Detection Alerts
1. Insects Attracted to Infrared Lights
Many modern surveillance cameras use infrared (IR) lights for night vision. However, these lights often attract insects, such as moths, which flutter around the camera. The movement of these tiny creatures can trigger motion detection alerts, leading to numerous false alarms, especially during the night.
2. Changing Lighting Conditions
Changes in environmental lighting, such as those caused by the movement of clouds, the rising or setting sun, or even car headlights, can lead to significant pixel changes in the camera's view. Traditional systems, which primarily rely on pixel-based changes to detect motion, can interpret these lighting shifts as motion, resulting in false alerts.
3. Pets and Wildlife
Pets, like cats and dogs, can move within the camera's field of view, triggering motion alerts. For those who have pets or live in areas frequented by wildlife, this can be a constant source of false alarms.
To counteract these issues, many users switch their surveillance system to continuous recording mode. However, this approach consumes a significant amount of storage space and makes it more challenging to pinpoint actual security incidents amidst hours of footage.
Addressing the Challenges with SmartVision
SmartVision, a free desktop software for Windows, offers advanced object detection capabilities. Unlike traditional systems that rely solely on pixel changes, SmartVision can differentiate between various objects. For instance, if you have a pet at home or in your yard, the software can be set to alert only when a human is detected in the frame, effectively filtering out pets and reducing false alerts.