Adding AI to your existing CCTV — what an edge analytics box can and cannot do

If your shop, office or home already has CCTV, you may be told you need to replace it to get features like people counting or smarter alerts. Often you do not. A small AI edge box can read the video from cameras you already have and add the analytics on top. Here is what that means, and what to check before you commit.

What an edge box does

An edge box is a small computer on your own network. It connects to your IP cameras, reads their video streams, and runs software that recognises things in the picture: a person, a vehicle, a line being crossed, an area being entered. The word "edge" means the processing happens on site, not in a remote data centre.

Common uses:

• People counting. How many people come through an entrance, useful for a shop or an office.
• Zone alerts. A notification when someone is in an area at an hour when nobody should be, such as a store room after closing.
• Fewer pointless alerts. Telling a person from a passing shadow, a tree or an animal, so you are not woken by every motion event.

Will it work with your cameras?

This is the first thing to check, and it is where the answer is "it depends".

1. Is it an IP camera? Older analogue cameras usually connect to a recorder and may need a different approach.
2. Does it support ONVIF or RTSP? These are common standards that let other devices read a camera's stream. Many modern IP cameras support them, though some brands lock them down or hide them in a menu.
3. Resolution, angle and light. A camera mounted high at a steep angle, or one that struggles in the dark, gives the software less to work with. Analytics only works as well as the picture it receives.
4. Where do the results go? Check whether counts and alerts can be sent to your recorder, your dashboard or your phone.

Questions to ask any supplier

• Does the analysis run on the box itself, or does it depend on a cloud service or on the recorder?
• Which video formats and how many cameras can it handle?
• What accuracy can I expect with my cameras, my lighting and my layout? Be cautious about headline figures that were not measured in conditions like yours.
• What happens if the internet goes down?

Privacy comes with it

Counting people and watching spaces involves personal data. In Singapore, organisations that use CCTV have duties under the PDPA, including telling people why footage is collected. If you run a business, check the guidance from the Personal Data Protection Commission and put clear notices in place. Keeping the processing on site, with access limited to the people who need it, helps, but it does not replace the obligation to tell people.

Common questions

Do I need to replace my cameras to add AI?

Often not. An edge box can read the video streams from IP cameras you already have. It depends on whether they support standards such as ONVIF or RTSP, and on picture quality, angle and lighting.

Does my video leave the premises?

"Edge" means the processing happens on site rather than in a remote data centre. Still ask any supplier whether the analysis runs on the box itself or depends on a cloud service.

Are there privacy rules for counting people with CCTV?

In Singapore, organisations that use CCTV have duties under the PDPA, including telling people why footage is collected. Check the guidance from the Personal Data Protection Commission and put clear notices in place.

Where it fits in a smart home

For a home, the useful version is modest: reliable alerts for the front door or a gate, a notification when a package arrives, and fewer false alarms from moving branches. Linking those alerts to the rest of a local system, such as lights that come on when someone approaches, makes them more practical.

Wondering whether your current cameras could be upgraded? Tell us the brand and model and we will check what they support before suggesting anything.