Is Your Samsung Camera's Person Detection Unreliable?
Person detection is a key smart feature in modern security cameras. It's designed to filter out the noise of general motion—like swaying trees or passing cars—and only alert you when a person is detected. However, when this feature gets it wrong, it can be frustrating. You might get alerts for your dog running across the garden, or worse, no alert at all when a delivery driver drops off a package.
This guide will help you understand why your Samsung camera's person detection might be inaccurate and provide troubleshooting steps to improve its performance.
How Person Detection Works (and Why It Sometimes Fails)
Your Samsung camera uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the shape and movement of objects in its view. It's been trained to recognise the general form and motion patterns of a human being. It's a complex process that can be affected by various environmental factors.
Common Reasons for Inaccurate Detection:
- Poor Lighting: Strong backlighting that creates a silhouette, or very low light that obscures details, can confuse the AI.
- Obstructed View: If a person is partially hidden behind a large object, or only a small part of them is in the frame, the camera may not have enough data to make a positive identification.
- Distance and Angle: A person who is very far away will be too small to analyse properly. A camera mounted too high may only see the top of a head, which doesn't look like a person's full shape.
- Unusual Shapes: Sometimes, a large animal or even a shadow moving in a particular way can be momentarily mistaken for a person.
- Software Glitches: As with any software, temporary glitches can occur that might require a simple reset of the feature.
Steps to Fix and Improve Person Detection Accuracy
Follow these tips to get more reliable and meaningful alerts from your camera.
1. Check and Reset the Feature
First, let's make sure the setting is enabled correctly.
- Open your camera's app (e.g., SmartThings).
- Go to your camera's Settings > Smart Detection (or a similar menu like 'Event Detection').
- Ensure 'Person Detection' is toggled on.
- If it is already on, try toggling it off, waiting a few seconds, and then toggling it back on. This can sometimes resolve a temporary software glitch.
2. Optimise Camera Placement and Angle
The camera's perspective is crucial for the AI to work effectively.
- Ideal Height: Mount your camera between 2 and 3 metres (7-10 feet) off the ground.
- Downward Angle: Angle the camera slightly downwards. The goal is to capture the entire person, from head to toe, as they move through the most important part of the scene.
- Avoid Obstructions: Ensure the camera's view isn't blocked by tree branches, pillars, or other objects.
3. Improve Lighting Conditions
Good lighting gives the AI more visual information to work with.
- Front Lighting: Ensure the area you want to monitor is lit from the front (from the camera's perspective), not from behind. If a bright light is pointing towards the camera, it will create a silhouette that is hard to analyse.
- Night Vision: Make sure there are no nearby surfaces causing IR glare, which can wash out the image and make detection difficult at night. An external security light can often help provide clearer detail for the AI.
4. Adjust Motion Sensitivity
Person detection only happens after the camera first detects general motion. If the motion sensitivity is too low, the camera might not wake up to see the person in the first place.
- In the camera's settings, find the Motion Sensitivity option.
- It might be a trade-off. You may need to set the sensitivity high enough that it picks up general motion reliably, and then let the Person Detection feature act as the filter for your notifications.
By optimising your camera's physical setup and digital settings, you can significantly improve the accuracy of its person detection feature, leading to smarter alerts you can trust.