What if a security camera could be more than just a camera?

Recently, the author delved into an open-source project called OpenNVR, and found its concept intriguing. Traditionally, a security camera operates in a straightforward manner: Camera → Video → Recording → Search. However, a camera's true potential lies in its continuous observation of its surroundings. When a person enters a room, a vehicle arrives, someone crosses a restricted area, or an object is moved, the camera plays a crucial role in capturing these events.

The question then arises: What if we could develop applications based on everything the camera perceives? This is precisely what caught the author's attention while exploring OpenNVR. It's not merely about displaying multiple camera feeds or archiving recordings. What intrigued the author was the developer-oriented aspect - cameras, events, AI models, and applications could form part of a larger system that developers can build upon.

One idea that particularly appealed to the author is the concept of an AI adapter architecture. Rather than relying on a single AI model, different models can be linked through adapters. This opens up a range of possibilities. The developer can experiment with object detection, tracking, license plate recognition, face recognition, scene understanding, or even create their own models.

Moreover, there's the App SDK. It prompted the author to ponder: What if instead of merely constructing another application that simply observes a camera feed, we built something that actively utilizes what the camera sees? For instance, the application could detect something, comprehend the event, and trigger an action. Or, perhaps, it could ask the camera what occurred in a specific area, or even create a completely novel workflow that hasn't been conceived before.

The author also values that OpenNVR is open-source and self-hosted. The ability to retain video, processing, and AI within one's own infrastructure is highly appealing for experimenting with computer vision and edge AI. While the author is still exploring the project, they don't intend to present this as a comprehensive technical analysis or a product review.

Instead, it serves as a thought-provoking piece that challenges the conventional notion of treating cameras as mere video sources. Instead, they suggest that cameras could potentially evolve into programmable sensors for the physical world, a prospect that excites the author as a developer. The author is keen to observe what individuals within the community would develop using this concept.