i-PRO have announced its brand new AI Smart Box, which is designed to turn non-AI network cameras into smart devices. The AI Smart Box is a combination of the known I-PRO mini paired with a new I-PRO in-house application.

This powerful, yet compact combination can provide deep-learning analytics by extracting comprehensive object metadata from the real-time stream of a traditional camera. 

Available immediately, this new functionality provides an avenue for non-AI cameras from other manufacturers to integrate with i-PRO Active Guard. As part of i-PRO’s open strategy, the Active Guard plugin software delivers a multitude of valuable object attributes for forensic search and live events to popular VMSs like Milestone, Genetec, Luxriot and other VMSs. 

“Similar to how we used encoders in the transition from analog to IP 15-20 years ago, this ‘AI encoder’ enables a seamless transition to AI-based analytics. i-PRO leads the way again in making AI accessible to more customers with a unique and cost-effective solution for legacy network cameras to transition to AI while benefiting from i-PRO’s powerful Active Guard software,” said Gerard Figols, President, i-PRO EMEA. 

The i-PRO AI Smart Box is designed for customers who have some non-AI capable cameras, but would like to harvest valuable metadata to be used in detailed forensic search and real-time notifications through integration with i-PRO Active Guard, benefitting from zero additional license fees and no processing delays when seconds count.

“Our approach is simple, yet efficient: we have developed a new application for an existing product, enabling customers to turn their non-AI cameras into smart devices by adding this compact box into their system infrastructure on-site. This way everyone can test and experience the benefits of AI-generated metadata by themselves,” adds Philippe Henaine, Manager, Strategic Partners for Europe.

The AI Smart Box works by transferring MJPEG streams from a non-AI camera to the AI Smart Box for processing. The results are then sent to the Active Guard server and VMS. Up to two apps can be installed that detect people or vehicles with the ability to detect nearly 100 individual object attributes.

Any network camera that supports an MJPEG output and a minimum of 5fps in either 1920×1080 or 1280×720 resolution is projected to be compatible with the AI Smart Box.

Customers can enjoy the benefits of generating metadata for non-AI cameras, that match these requirements, after installing the dedicated application to their i-PRO mini (WV-S71300A-F3) device.