WIFI IP Cameras have been easily implemented and used by the end users. In this article, I will talk about some interesting uses of these cameras at home and the ones that brought innovation into WIFI IP cameras’ capabilities.
WiFi and IP Cameras for home security are becoming much more popular these days because of the magnitude of features and setup options available. There are indoor and outdoor variants available with similar features such as WiFi/Wired network connectivity. Another great feature is being able to be notified remotely of movement in a room. Features like this have given these smart products a massive increase in popularity.
As a result, the prices have become much more competitive than before. This gives way for even an average consumer to own an IP Camera. With the development of companion mobile apps and advanced surveillance, IP cameras are beginning to do so much more than what they were originally meant to do. You can set them up on your local network or you can also create a VPN, which will allow you to access the cameras feed privately. Let’s take a look at some of the latest innovative uses of a modern day IP camera.
Advanced Surveillance and Notifications
Some IP and WiFi cameras have some pretty advanced notification and alert features. High-end models usually come with a companion app for your smartphone. This allows you to view your video feed directly on your smartphone. By having an app available on your smartphone, you can also expect advanced alerts from your camera at any given time.
In today’s market, picking out the best WiFi camera can be an impossible task. Modern hhigh-end cameras can detect motion and irregular sounds in a viewing area. An example of an irregular sound could be a loud crashing sound, like a window breaking. The camera will then send you either an email or phone alert informing you of its detections. It will also include an important image from its findings. You will also be able to view pictures of any activity from within the last 3 hours of any incident.
Alerts on modern day IP and WiFi Cameras are so smart that you can customize the camera to send you a special alert if a person walks into the room. The camera can detect and track human movement. You can also set the camera to alert you of movement within important areas of interest, like a safe or an expensive piece of artwork.
There are WiFi cameras available today that have face alert software available. This feature is similar to person alert. The camera will alert you when it has spotted someone and it will actually zoom into their face. This will allow you to identify them. Another great paid service is the ability to view saved videos that are stored on the cloud. This can also be conveniently accessed within a mobile app. Unlimited video storage on the cloud does come at a premium price. You can still opt for a free service that will allow you to view snapshots of activity within the last 3 hours.
4K Sensor
Some high-end IP and WiFi cameras come equipped with an innovative feature called “Supersight”. The camera doesn’t actually record video in 4K, instead, it delivers images at 1080p. However, the camera will produce a picture quality that has lossless zoom. This means that you will be able to zoom into a picture up to 4 times without losing quality.
This means that the picture quality of a zoomed-in object will still be maintained at 1080p. This is security surveillance at its best! You can zoom into the tiny corners of the picture to further investigate irregularities without ending up with a pixelated object or image. This is a very handy tool for those smart IP cameras that actually zoom into peoples faces by using motion tracking. You will be able to clearly identify them now because the image will remain clear at 1080p resolution.
The futuristic software options listed above are available today, however, they do come with their fair share of problems. The alghorithms which are used to control motion tracking and facial recognition are still in its infancy stage. It will take more time for us to reach a point when the software will function efficiently. At the moment we are very much on track with hardware. The next step is for developers to come up with something much more radical in terms of software and video intelligence.
IP and WiFi Cameras with Built-in Speakers
Having a WiFi camera at home that comes with an internal speaker and microphone has some amazing functionality. I personally never knew I needed one until I saw just what it can do. Now I must have one! Apart from the regular surveillance functions, you will be able to interact with people within range of the camera. You can monitor the live feed and alert and communicate with people you see in the video by talking to them via the cameras mobile app.
Family or friends in the same room as the camera will be able to hear you speak to them because of the cameras built-in speakers. They will also be able to interact with you courtesy of a built-in microphone. All this can be done at the convenience of an app. You can use this as a means of monitoring a group of people within a workspace. Some people are actually using the camera to give their pets instructions to jump off the couch!
Another level of interaction available from high-end IP cameras is the ability to use and innovate motion detection. Your camera will be able to track a subject around a room by focusing and zooming-in on that person. As the person walks around the room, the image will stay zoomed and locked on them until they are out of the frame. However, the algorithms involved in this process are still new and has its fair share of bugs. The software will still need to be developed further in order to run smoother.
This year has been a great year in regards to new and innovative ways to make use of WiFi IP cameras. I personally love the ability to check into my home remotely from my phone. The ability to communicate as well within the app is a huge bonus for me. At the moment, smartphones are aggressively pushing facial recognition software to the masses. Apple seems to be at the forefront in this regard. Hopefully WiFi cameras will catch up soon.
Follow Kostas Chiotis by checking out his blog Techisignals.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.