Video analytics is software that automatically analyses camera footage and produces events, counts and metrics, so that important situations are noticed as they happen rather than found later in recordings.
Motion detection vs AI analytics
Older analytics mostly reacted to pixel changes: moving trees, shadows and lighting changes all triggered alerts. AI-based analytics recognises what is in the image — a person, a forklift, smoke — so rules can be meaningful (“a person in this zone after 22:00”) and false alarms drop.
Typical events
- Zone entry, dwell time and line crossing
- Counting people, vehicles or objects
- Missing PPE, falls, fire and smoke
- Queue length and occupancy
Where it is used
In factories for workplace safety and production monitoring; in warehouses for forklift safety and counting; in retail and banking for people counting and queue analytics.
Limitations
Video analytics only sees what the camera sees. Angle, distance, lighting and occlusion set the limits, so each project should include camera evaluation and accuracy measurement on real footage.
Not sure what is feasible on your site? Send a few camera frames and your use case.
Evaluate your camerasFrequently asked questions
Is video analytics the same as a VMS?
No. A VMS records and manages video; video analytics interprets it and generates events. They work side by side.