Is Your Cove Camera's Person Detection Wrong? How to Improve Its Accuracy
Person detection is a fantastic feature in modern security cameras like those from Cove. It promises to filter out the noise of irrelevant motion alerts—from pets, passing cars, or swaying trees—and only notify you when a person is detected. However, when this feature gets it wrong, it can either lead to a flood of false notifications or, more worryingly, fail to detect someone it should have.
If you're frustrated with your Cove camera's person detection performance, don't worry. There are several practical steps you can take to fine-tune the system and dramatically improve its accuracy. This guide will walk you through them.
## Understanding How Person Detection Works
It's helpful to first understand what's happening behind the scenes. Your Cove camera uses a combination of motion detection and artificial intelligence (AI).
- First, the camera's sensor detects any change in pixels in its field of view (standard motion).
- Then, it sends this motion-triggered clip to a processor or the cloud for analysis.
- The AI algorithm analyses the clip to see if the object causing the motion has the shape and movement patterns of a human being.
- Only if it positively identifies a person does it send you a "Person Detected" notification.
When this process fails, it's usually due to a problem in one of these stages.
## Step 1: Optimise Your Camera's Placement and Angle
The single most effective way to improve person detection accuracy is by optimising the camera's physical position.
- Height and Angle: Install your camera between 2 and 3 metres (7-10 feet) high, angled slightly downwards. This gives the AI a clear, top-down view of a person's entire body, making them easier to identify. A camera placed too low can be easily confused by pets or have its view obscured.
- Avoid Backlighting: Do not point the camera directly at a strong light source, like the sun or a security light. This creates silhouettes and high contrast, making it very difficult for the AI to distinguish shapes.
- Minimise "Visual Noise": Try to position the camera so that areas of constant, unimportant motion are out of frame. This includes busy roads, flags flapping in the wind, or bushes that sway constantly. While the AI is designed to ignore these, reducing the amount of motion it has to analyse will improve its focus on what matters.
## Step 2: Configure Activity Zones
Activity zones (sometimes called motion zones) are a powerful tool for reducing false alerts. They allow you to draw a box around the specific areas in the camera's view you care about.
- Focus on Key Areas: Draw your zones to cover critical areas like your walkway, porch, driveway, or garden gate.
- Exclude Problem Areas: Crucially, you should exclude areas that cause false triggers. If a public pavement is in view, draw your zone to end just before it. If a tree's moving branches are causing alerts, exclude them from the zone.
- How to Set Up: You can configure activity zones in your camera's "Motion Detection Settings" within the Cove app.
### Step 3: Adjust Motion Sensitivity Levels
The motion sensitivity setting determines how much movement is required to trigger a recording and subsequent AI analysis.
- Too High: If the sensitivity is too high, the camera will be triggered by very small movements like rain, insects, or shadows, creating more work for the person detection AI and increasing the chance of errors.
- Too Low: If the sensitivity is too low, the camera may not even trigger a recording when a person walks into view, meaning the person detection algorithm never gets a chance to see them.
- Finding the Balance: Start with the sensitivity at a medium level. If you are getting too many false alerts, lower it one step at a time. If you feel the camera is missing events, increase it slightly. This often requires a bit of trial and error.
### Step 4: Keep the Lens Clean and Firmware Updated
- Clean the Lens: A surprisingly common cause of poor detection is a dirty lens. Dust, smudges, or water spots can distort the image, making it hard for the AI to work effectively. Regularly clean the lens with a soft microfibre cloth.
- Update Firmware: Manufacturers constantly refine their detection algorithms. Ensure your Cove camera and app are always updated to the latest firmware version to benefit from these improvements. Check for updates in the camera's settings in the app.
By taking a comprehensive approach—optimising placement, configuring zones, adjusting sensitivity, and performing basic maintenance—you can turn your Cove camera's person detection from a frustrating gimmick into a highly reliable security tool.