Neither we are 24 hours at home watching that no any intruder not many can have someone to do it. The most logical option is to resort to professional surveillance cameras or secure with alarm, but this we can get quite expensive.
A system that seeks to gain a foothold in this field is Netatmo Welcome: a camera that tells us whenever it detects someone at home. Either a known whether a stranger, Netatmo Welcome is able to differentiate and tell you exactly by notification in the mobile that has entered your home.
A design that masquerades as an element of the house
How is really the Netatmo Welcome? The cylindrical shape of the device and its coating gold anodized aluminum makes the camera can go unnoticed at home as an element that is part of the decor.
Its size of about palm (15.5 cm high and 4.5 cm in diameter) allows us to place it on any shelf in the lobby or lounge. The negative part of the design is that it does not work on batteries or battery, but we have to connect it to a power supply. This makes confine ourselves to a point where we have a nearby outlet and spoil the appearance slightly due to cable emerges from the rear.
How the facial recognition
Netatmo software works in a very intuitive and funny way. Basically, once we have the camera installed, it will begin to learn all the faces that go viewing. According see people walk past you will be keeping his expressions and wondering who they are by creating a profile person.
A point to note: the data collected Netatmo facial expressions are stored locally on the SD memory that comes with the Netatmo Welcome. Another option is to store the videos that are generated in our Dropbox folder, but it is optional. So, we are confident that our data is shared servers Netatmo, only in Dropbox if we acquiesce.
After a few days the system learns and makes a profile of the people in the house
After a few days (a week) will meet all members of the house because you have several shots of them and we have to set who is who. If you detect some different person at home (a friend or stranger), we will notify it by a notification.
The camera, capable of recording at 1080p, understand the features of each person and associates very well. Yes, do not be surprised if at first recognizes faces in pictures or shirts for example. Another thing to consider is the position where you place the Welcome: it must be at the entrance of the house, yes, but try to leave a reasonable space for the camera to have a broader view.
The system works much better than one would expect, learn and different features of each person without much difficulty. In this case we have not put the camera difficult, since only he has had to learn four different faces. But, for example, I’ve had to indicate that with or without the same person. So try not to have a very radical makeover or you will be treated like a stranger.
Notifications warning you of what you really care
Unlike other systems, Netatmo only tells you what you ask him to warn you. Do not going to cram with notifications whenever you see someone come home or detect a movement, but will do so only if there can be a danger. We must insist on this aspect, because not so with other manufacturers: if you get a notice of Netatmo you know it’s not in vain, and this is vital to make sense to have a surveillance system at home.
Welcome Netatmo can warn you if:
- Comes home someone he does not recognize as not have never seen before
- Enter a known home and you want to know when you get home and when going
- Hear the sound of an alarm or smoke detector
So it depends on you and what you want to know about your house while you’re gone. The camera will warn you whenever you see your loved ones or only if you see a stranger into the house. Perhaps not likely to see between a thief but I want to know that your daughter has come home from school.
During the first week, you may reach many more notifications than later. This is because he is still learning themselves the faces of those who enter and leave the house. After that, and unless you celebrate holidays at home, unknown notifications will be drastically reduced.
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Motion detection windows and doors Tags
In addition to detecting faces, the system can detect movement: this is where the tags come into play. It is small sensors that function as a complement to Netatmo Welcome. They sold separately and are a total of three. These small sensors do not have camera, only with a motion sensor that can regulate and calibrate.
The sensors are installed in doors and windows, and whenever they are opened we will notice it. Ideally , stick one of these sensors on the door and two windows in the house. Once configured, whenever a movement in them we are aware is detected.
When we installed the tags these are calibrated to understand when it is open or closed a door or window
We must take into account a small detail (which in my case took me in percatarme) sensors are very sensitive. Minimal vibration in the windows will be enough to trigger the alarm on the phone, in the same way as if the neighbor hits the door and our door is close to hers. Fortunately sensitivity can be set from within the application, so we have to find that sweet spot on our doors and windows to activate only if they are opened.
How should be the minimum vibration to jump default alarm? In my case, passing a truck down the street and living on the first floor with mezzanine alarm is activated. Nor they have a high precision sensor, but if a vibration or movement that can notice with touch, the tags also notice . As noted, this can be adjusted from the app.
1080p HD camera and night mode
The built – in camera Welcome Netatmo camera 1080p with a viewing angle of 130 degrees. More than enough to detect both sides to have a right angle and see everything that goes in and out of the house. On the other hand, it has a night mode that allows you to capture details in low light conditions and at night.
Doing a couple of tests with focus completely dark area, the camera itself which has detected the different faces and has been able to distinguish whether it is a known or not. But it has cost more than normal, for example being a known and rapidly coming through the door has not had time to detect the face and effectively has jumped notification.
Safe storage and local
Netatmo camera has a slot for microSD cards. In fact, one of them comes with 8 GB. All videos are stored on this card go and after a while will erased to make room for others. Would you stay longer? Nothing happens: you can add a microSD card more capacity.
What allows SD 8GB? Approximately 100 videos stored. These clips last the time it takes the person to enter and leave the house. The video starts to be stored a few seconds before motion is detected and ends a few seconds later. Making an entry or “normal” leaving home, the video is about 15 seconds. As a detail, we can see a streaming video of the camera, but will have a delay of approximately 10-15 seconds, depending on the Internet connection.
Something that no local stores are small faces and captures video thumbnails. Why? Simply because this is sent to Netatmo encrypted servers and allow us to have a small database in the mobile app of all known faces and thumbnails of videos for playback.
Connecting with other systems and services
Netatmo has a more accurate application for iOS, Android and even web. We do not have a native app for Windows, Linux or MacOS for example, but we can access from your computer using the website. Beyond that it is where we encounter the negative point Netatmo Welcome: its poor integration with other intelligent systems and applications.
HomeKit Apple SmartThings Hub Samsung, Amazon Echo or Belkin WeMO are some of the systems that should be compatible Netatmo. Anyway, developers Netatmo have already announced they are working on integrating com HomeKit and others, so while arrives can make use of the different recipes IFTTT for the device that allow us to connect for example Belkin WeMO.
What do you allow these “recipes” in general? For example make a record of all strangers who come home and store it in Drive. You can also send mail a photograph of each person who enters or leaves the house if you do not know. Even (though this will cram notifications) to receive notification when the Netatmo Welcome detects motion. I recommend not to abuse these recipes IFTTT. I had a recipe that warned me if turned off or turned on the Netatmo Welcome and another sent me an email with unfamiliar faces and because they seemed too many notifications.