Skip to main content

Horizon Robotics’ smart security camera uses A.I. for serious facial recognition

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The smart cameras of 2018 are getting smarter still. Startup Horizon Robotics has debuted a new HD smart camera that boasts serious artificial intelligence capabilities and can identify faces with an accuracy of up to 99.7 percent, the company claims. That’s probably better than most humans. The company claims the new HR-IPC2143 smart camera is the “first of its kind with applications in public security for the real-time detection of potential suspects. In less ominous applications, it can identify important customers.

“The smart camera is a reflection of Horizon Robotics’ mission — to provide high-performance, low-power, and low-cost products utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology,” said Dr. Kai Yu, CEO and founder of Horizon Robotics. “Other companies can only deliver a portion of the equation, but we are able to integrate all these form factors to create a complete business solution rather than just a stand-alone camera.”

The HR-IPC2143 leverages recognition capabilities alongside its local capture to give users facial capture, feature extraction, and facial feature comparison based on deep-learning algorithms. By using an “algorithm + chip + cloud” system architecture, this camera can quickly turn raw video data into actionable insights, with multi-target location detection, multi-target tracking, multi-target recognition, and pedestrian attribute classification. Thanks to its 50,000 feature library, the camera is able to support high-performance facial recognition, as well as process videos at 1920x1080p at 30 frames per second in real time. It also allows the camera to detect, track, and identify up to 200 objects simultaneously, all in a single frame.

The HR-IPC2143 has some pretty impressive surveillance chops, as it can recognize faces even in crowded environments, like packed hallways, entries and exits, and large events. Or, if a store owner wants to identify VIP shoppers as they enter the premises to ensure that they receive special treatment, the smart camera can be leveraged in this way as well.

Key to the camera’s success is the “Sunrise” embedded A.I. computer vision processor, which boasts the Brain Processing Unit (BPU) architecture. This proprietary A.I. processor architecture claims to combine A.I. algorithms with hardware design, and allows the relatively small camera to still perform at its peak. “Compared with previous smart cameras, the ability to capture and identify images simultaneously is a major breakthrough in the field of embedded A.I. in security and commercial applications,” Horizon Robotics noted in a release.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Do Arlo Essential cameras require the Arlo Smart Hub?
An Arlo Smart Hub on a wooden table.

Arlo makes some of the most popular smart home cameras. They're reliable, easy to install, and supported by platforms such as Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. Many of its best devices fall into the Essential family, which includes the Essential XL, Essential 2K, Essential Indoor 2K, and Essential Video Doorbell.

Alongside these products, Arlo offers something known as a Smart Hub. This is available in two formats (Ultra Smart Hub and Pro Smart Hub), and both make it easy to connect your Arlo devices to the internet. But do you need an Arlo Smart Hub to use Arlo Essential cameras? Or can you get them online without purchasing the secondary hub?

Read more
Can you use a Blink Outdoor Camera without a subscription?
Blink Outdoor cam wet from the rain.

For security and peace of mind around your home, a Blink Outdoor Camera is one of the most popular choices for keeping an eye on your property. The outdoor cameras have features like motion detection, a Live View which lets you see what is going on at your property right from your smartphone, and an Activity Zones option that lets you choose which areas of your property you want to record -- which is handy if you live near a busy street where cars could constantly set off annoying motion detection notifications. The recently released Blink Outdoor 4 has improved on these features to make them even better than the previous Blink Outdoor 3.

Like most home security systems, Blink operates on a subscription plan, with a monthly charge starting at $3 to use the service. But if you don't want to pay for the charge, you might want to try using the cameras without the subscription -- though there will be some severe limitations if you do.
Does the Blink Outdoor Camera require a subscription to use?

Read more
How to prevent your Ring smart camera from being hacked
Ring Indoor Cam on a table.

Ring smart cameras are remarkably popular. The lineup includes a variety of indoor and outdoor cameras as well as an industry-leading catalog of video doorbells. However, the cameras aren't without their faults. A few years ago, a class action lawsuit was filed claiming that Ring hadn't done enough to protect users from hackers -- allowing them to gain unpermitted access to video feeds.

Digital Trends reached out to Ring about these old hacking incidents. Here's what they had to say.

Read more