Questions and answers

How the product counter works?

Cameras are turning into smart devices thanks to machine learning. The customer sends a video from the camera. We train a neural network to recognize and count the items in the footage. After that we install the program on the customer’s PC to work in real conditions.

The technology does not require lighting in the shop, shooting angle and distance to objects. There is no need to buy expensive video cameras or to re-hang the working ones. If a person is able to count products by the picture in the frame, then the neural network can cope with it.

The video stream is analyzed in real time, so you don’t need disks for video storage either.

What hardware is needed?

Camera. Any IP camera with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution that supports RTSP network protocol, having an ROI function will be a benefit.

Computer. Intel Core i5-10400 (or AMD equivalent), 6 cores, 500GB SSD drive.

Video card and RAM

• 1-4 cameras: Nvidia RTX 3050 8 Gb, RAM 16-32GB;
• 5-20 cameras: Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti 16 Gb, RAM 32-64 GB.

Capture quality and system load. System load depends on the resolution of the cameras. At full HD 1920×1080 the computer processes video stream from 1 to 10 cameras. If there are more cameras, you will need to reduce the resolution of the cameras. To process 11 to 20 cameras, the resolution will need to be reduced to 640×480. For 30 cameras, two computers will need to be installed. There is no maximum number of cameras and computers.

Such a bundle allows you to distribute the load on the network card, processor and video card. If you connect more than 20 cameras to a computer, the processor will be overloaded and the system will start to work unstably.

According to our experience, in many projects you can reduce the load on the system by reducing the image size and fps. For example, instead of shooting in Full HD, set the resolution to 320×240 pixels and 15 frames per second instead of 25 frames per second. This size and fps will be enough, for example, for counting eggs.

Operating system. Windows or Linux.

Can the video counter record video to the archive?

There is no such functionality. But you can additionally install any program for saving records to the archive. All of them are compatible with our counter.

Which program to choose for remote access?

Usually clients install the AnyDesk program. It is quite convenient to configure the videocounter through it.

How do I view the reporting? Can the results be saved to a database or ERP system?

For clarity, you can build diagrams for any time period: minute, hour, day, month. Reports are uploaded in PDF and Excel formats. You can transfer data to any external system: ERP, MySQL and others through the built-in REST API. The video counter also supports the MQTT protocol.

What is the MQTT protocol?

MQTT is a standardized messaging protocol for communication between computers. It is widely used in smart sensors, wearable devices, and other elements of the Internet of Things (IoT) that often transmit and receive data over resource-constrained and low-bandwidth networks. The protocol is chosen for its ease of implementation and high data transfer efficiency. MQTT supports messaging in both directions: from devices to the cloud and back.

How the product counter is implemented?

1. Hardware customization

Installation of computer vision libraries into the customer’s system. Adjusting the shooting quality: bitrate, resolution, fps.

2. RTSP stream recording

Recording RTSP stream with product movement of 5 minutes duration.

3. Training the neural network

Selection of suitable frames. Marking of products on the frames. Training of the recognition algorithm. Testing of the counter.

4. Starting the video counter

Transfer the algorithm to the customer’s computer and start counting.

5. Checking the counting

Customer finds errors and sends video for corrections.

6. Additional training of the neural network

In projects with simple counting, one retraining is usually enough. For projects that recognize different types of products, 5-10 refresher training sessions may be required.

Products have changed on the conveyor belt, will the counter recognize the new products?

If the product type has changed or the packaging has been significantly updated, the neural network will need to be retrained. Contact us to consider additional training of the videocounter.