Skip to main content

Startup lets webcams detect people

Tuesday, February 09, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO: Vitamin D Video on Monday released a finished version of software that detects people in surveillance footage recorded by common Web cameras.

While using "webcams" to keep watch is nothing new, the California-based start-up has eliminated the need to sift through hours or days of video for portions containing folks whose activities or lack thereof may be of interest.

Surveillance webcam software that detected motion routinely vexed users with emails or alerts triggered by any motion, be it a passing bird or swaying branch. Vitamin D is crafted to recognize people.

"Say goodbye to the dark ages of video analytics," Vitamin D said at its website. "Our approach to object recognition paves the way for powerful new applications in security, advertising, entertainment and video search."

Vitamin D said it uses artificial intelligence to help computers discern between objects such as clouds, planes, and people in a way similar to how 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 49 dollars (US) and a Pro Edition with no limit on the number of webcams has a 199-dollar price tag.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...

Tennis: Clijsters wins US Open, second time

NEW YORK: Kim Clijsters of Belgium won the US Open on Sunday by defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-5, 6-3 in the final.She is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980, the victory coming just five weeks after she returned to the sport following a 27-month retirement. She was the first wildcard, man or woman, to win a US Open title in the history of the tournament.

42 killed in wave of Iraq bombings

BAGHDAD: At least 42 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded in a spate of bomb attacks near the restive northern Iraqi city of Mosul and in the capital Baghdad on Monday, police said. In the deadliest single attack, two booby-trapped lorries exploded before dawn in the village of Khaznah, east of Mosul, leaving 25 people dead and 70 others wounded. Thirty-five houses were destroyed in the village, which is home to members of the tiny Shabak community, a sect of Kurdish origin. In Baghdad, two car bombs went off as day labourers were gathering in the early morning hours looking for jobs.The first bomb exploded at Hay al-Amel, in the west of the capital, killing nine people and injuring 46. The second bomb attack in Shurta Arbaa in the north of the city killed seven people and wounded 35 others.