A video company has released software that detects people in surveillance footage recorded by common Web cameras.
While using webcams for surveillance is nothing new, California-based start-up Vitamin D Video has eliminated the need to sift through hours or days of video for relevant portions.
Surveillance webcam software that detected motion has vexed users in the past, as any motion - be it a passing bird or swaying branch - triggers an alert.
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The new technology purports to be able to tell the difference between objects and people.
"Say goodbye to the dark ages of video analytics," Vitamin D says on its website. "Our approach to object recognition paves the way for powerful new applications in security, advertising, entertainment and video search."
The company says the artificial intelligence it uses resembles the way the human brain processes visual information.
The company was founded in 2007 by former Palm employees.
Vitamin D Video 1.0 software was released on Monday, marking the end of a public test phase. A starter edition configured to work with one camera per computer is free.
A version supporting two cameras per computer is priced at US$49, and a Pro Edition which supports an unlimited number of webcams will cost US$199.
