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LoRa security camera detects and transmits trespasser data

Arduino TeamJuly 4th, 2019

Security cameras are a great way to deter theft and vandalism, but what if the camera is out of WiFi range, or otherwise would need long cables to transmit pictures? As explained here, Tegwyn Twmffat has an interesting solution–taking advantage of neural network processing to recognize moving objects, along with a LoRa connection to sound the alarm when there is a potential problem.

Images are captured by a Raspberry Pi and camera, then processed with the help of an Intel Movidius Neural Compute Stick for identification. If it’s something of interest—a human, for example—a relatively small amount of data is transmitted to a MKR WAN 1300 base station, beeping faster and faster as the person approaches. 

As seen in the video below, it’s able to properly ignore the ‘test dog,’ while it beeps away when a person approaches! 

4 Responses to “LoRa security camera detects and transmits trespasser data”

  1. tkbyd Says:

    Unintentional, I’m sure, and it CAN be interpreted correctly… but I feel that…

    “data is transmitted to a MKR WAN 1300 base station”

    … should be rephrased.

    “the captured data is passed to a MKR WAN 1300, from where it is transmitted to a LoRa hub, if the device in in range of one.”

    (I would contend that “base station” is most likely to be interpreted as meaning a hub, a device which collects data from LoRad IoT devices, and puts that data “in the cloud”/ on the Internet. Few people are in the range of a hub, and affordable hubs, though promised “soon” from at least one source, are as yet not available… as far as I know! And without a hub, the SmartWatch burglar device, as presented, is of no use. (Maybe re-do article with emphasis on the clever things done by the detector, and giving readers pointers to various ways the data could be got to the people who need it? (SMS? Etc))

    Even knowing enough about LoRad to spot the easily- arrived- at- misunderstanding, I wasted time I’d rather have spent other ways ruling out the possibility that this was more than the misunderstanding made it seem.

  2. rpsmith Says:

    >>> “LoRad IoT”, Even knowing enough about “LoRad” to spot the easily- arrived- at- misunderstanding, I wasted time I’d rather have spent other ways ruling out the possibility that this was more than the misunderstanding made it seem.

    >>> Few people are in the range of a hub, and affordable hubs, though promised “soon” from at least one source, are as yet not available… as far as I know!

    What is LoRad?

    Public LoRa services are being deployed worldwide as long-range low power (Low Power Wide Area, duh) public networks critical in parts of the world w/o wifi or mobile service for applications that only require narrowband transmissions with the added benefit of very low power requirements – think 3 mile range devices operating on energy harvested from the sun, wind, or even the earth’s natural vibrations. This reality is in range.

    Applauding your work Tegwyn Twmffat. I found your proof of concept as having many uses like protecting endangered species in remote parts of the world.

  3. tkbyd Says:

    I too applaud Tegwyn Twmffat’s work (with a PI, using an Arduino module to pass on serial data)…

    … but, to expand a bit… have a look at the coverage map at…

    https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/

    (see also note at bottom…)

    And imagine the three mile circle around each hub. Anyway… my issue wasn’t the extent of coverage, but the inference I think that many will make from the bit I quoted, that the project here solves the hub issue, when in fact it is “merely” a client station for a hub… a client on a very promising, relatively new technology, one that interests me, not least because cheaper hubs are supposedly on the way.

    ===
    PS: Well! THAT was interesting! In putting this comment together, I went off to fetch the website of the map quoted above. That’s the one I’ve always gone straight to, in the past. In the course of looking, today, I’ve come to wonder if that’s just one of several available. Comments on what hubs are available for hobbyist “play” would be welcome, if anyone knows of others!

    ===
    In closing: I would stress that I AM enthusiastic about LoRa, have high hopes that it will “take off”.

  4. Elias-Arduino Says:

    Was ist das für eine Kamera bzw. Platine mit der der Raspberry Pi funktioniert?
    PS. Super-gutes Projekt
    Richtig gut!

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