Fine-Tuning Axis Activity Zones for Accurate Detection
Axis cameras are renowned for their powerful and highly configurable analytics, including activity zones for motion detection. However, if not configured correctly, this feature can lead to either a flood of false alarms or, worse, missed events. This guide will help you understand and configure your activity zones, using features like AXIS Video Motion Detection (VMD), to ensure you only get the alerts that matter.
Why Are My Activity Zones Ineffective?
An poorly performing activity zone setup usually comes down to a few key factors:
- Poorly Drawn Zones: The include/exclude zones are not drawn precisely enough.
- Sensitivity Levels: The sensitivity is set too high (causing false alarms from shadows, rain, or insects) or too low (missing actual events).
- Environmental Noise: The camera's view includes objects that move constantly, such as rustling trees, flags, or busy roads.
- Object Size: The settings for object size are not configured to match your target.
How to Configure and Optimise Your Axis Activity Zones
You can configure these settings directly through the camera's web interface.
### 1. Access Your Camera's Settings
- Enter the IP address of your Axis camera into a web browser.
- Log in with your administrator credentials.
- Navigate to Settings > Apps (or Events in older firmware).
- Select your motion detection application, for example, AXIS Video Motion Detection.
### 2. Precisely Define 'Include' Zones
The 'include' zone is the main area where you want to detect motion.
- Be Specific: Instead of drawing one large box over the entire scene, create multiple, smaller polygons that tightly cover only the areas of interest, such as doorways, walkways, or driveways.
- Avoid 'Noisy' Areas: Try to draw your zones to exclude constantly moving objects. For example, end the zone just before a busy public pavement or exclude the branches of a tree that sways in the wind.
### 3. Use 'Exclude' Zones Strategically
Exclude zones are your best tool for reducing false alarms from environmental noise that you cannot avoid in your include zone.
- Moving Foliage: If a tree branch or bush is in your detection area, draw an 'exclude' zone precisely around it.
- Shadows and Light Changes: Identify areas where car headlights or changing sunlight creates moving shadows and draw exclude zones over them.
- Flags or Banners: Any object that moves constantly with the wind should be excluded.
### 4. Calibrate Sensitivity and Threshold
These two settings work together and require careful adjustment.
- Object Size (Threshold): This setting (often a slider) tells the camera to ignore objects smaller than a certain percentage of the total image. To filter out small animals or insects, increase this value slightly. To detect smaller objects, decrease it.
- Sensitivity: This determines how much an object needs to change between frames to trigger an alarm.
- High Sensitivity: Small changes (like heavy rain or camera noise) can trigger an event.
- Low Sensitivity: An object must be very prominent and move significantly to trigger an event.
Pro Tip: Make small, incremental adjustments. Change one setting, observe the results for a day, and then fine-tune again.
### 5. Use Time-Based Profiles
If you only need motion detection at certain times (e.g., after business hours), create a schedule.
- In the settings for your motion detection application, you can often link it to a schedule.
- This prevents you from receiving unnecessary alerts during busy daytime hours, allowing you to use higher sensitivity settings for nighttime.
By taking a methodical approach to defining your zones and calibrating your settings, you can transform your Axis camera's motion detection from a source of annoying false alarms into a highly effective and reliable security tool.