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How to get started with video analytics with the FLOW TrafficCamera starter kit
How to get started with video analytics with the FLOW TrafficCamera starter kit

Learn more about our special offer for the TrafficCamera starter kit and what you can do with it.

DataFromSky avatar
Written by DataFromSky
Updated over a week ago

Introduction

This TrafficCamera smart video analytics starter kit is a special opportunity to get started with smart video analytics and get familiar with FLOW - the ultimate multipurpose video analysis tool running on the camera. FLOW is a powerful trajectory-based AI traffic analysis framework able to detect, classify and track objects across the scene allowing it to be used for many applications. This article will provide you with a summary of the starter kit contents, a list of applications, reasons why FLOW is a valuable video analytics tool, and a quick 10-minute guide for setting up the camera so you can start experimenting and gathering data. You can watch a live demonstration of the starter kit below.

The TrafficCamera starter kit contents

  1. TrafficCamera powered by FLOW Traffic software (unlimited license)

  2. PoE injector with a power source

  3. 2x Ethernet cables

  4. One year of FLOW Traffic software updates

This is a limited-quantity offer. Get your TrafficCamera kit for 690,- EUR now! Download the Datasheet here.

Why get the TrafficCamera starter kit?

The plug-and-play TrafficCamera is an all-in-one solution with state-of-the-art edge AI for various real-time monitoring and control tasks. Explore the most compact form of universal traffic intelligence from video and join the FLOW community with the TrafficCamera starter kit. With it, you can easily create and deploy an end-to-end edge video analytic solution for traffic monitoring & control, smart parking, retail, or security. Once you learn how to use FLOW with the help of the starter kit, you will be able to put this knowledge to use not only on the TrafficCamera but also on many other devices from the FLOW family, giving you options to select the right tool for the task at hand. You can watch the overview of the TrafficCamera product in the video below.

Other devices that run FLOW are the vandal-proof TrafficEmbedded Edge processing unit or the TrafficXRoads unit both of which can process video streams from up to 6 IP cameras. The last one is the TrafficEnteprise server-based solution that can analyze traffic from camera networks covering the whole city. Both of these solutions can be easily integrated with other systems such as smart city platforms or XProtect VMS by Milestone Systems thanks to open API, Webhooks, I/O interfaces, and other tools. Not only that but FLOW is also very easy to work with thanks to its intuitive visual programming. For most use cases, you can set up your analytics in less than 3 minutes. With the drag, drop, connect modular design and a large number of modules to tailor the analysis to your needs you can create analytics for many use-cases and design them exactly the way you need. To learn more about the camera and FLOW specifications download the Datasheet here. Now that you understand the power of FLOW, let's go over a quick setup of the camera to get you started.

Quick start-up guide

1. Device setup

To start we plug in the POE injector into a power socket. The TrafficCamera either uses POE or needs a 12V DC or 24V AC power source. In this case, we have provided you with a POE cable and a POE injector. To power the camera we need to connect the TrafficCamera with an Ethernet Cable to the POE injector output. To get an internet connection to the TrafficCamera we connect it to your laptop or PC via Ethernet cable. Your PC needs to be connected to the internet for this to work.

2. Network configuration

By default, the camera has a static IP address 192.168.50.10. For a camera to

communicate properly, it must be in the same subnet as the network adapter

(computer) to which is connected. The camera’s web administration interface can be accessed using the URL: https://192.168.50.10. You can sign in with the following default login details:

  • login: flowadmin

  • password: Admin123456789+

In the camera web interface, you can set up and monitor a variety of parameters of the smart camera for example the zoom settings, IR mode, network settings, password and more. You can also change the IP address of the camera there.

You can find more about the network setup in the Camera web interface and camera settings section of the manual. After this, you can check the camera RTSP stream. Refer to the RTSP Streaming section of the manual to learn more about this.

3. FLOW – connect to the camera and define traffic analytics

After you have configured the camera based on your needs, you can connect to the camera analytics. To configure various traffic tasks on the camera you need the FLOW Insights application which can be downloaded here: https://datafromsky.com/flow-versions/. (The installation guide can be found here ) You need to choose the correct version of FLOW Insights to match the version of the FLOW software running on the camera. If you do not know which version of FLOW you have, try connecting with any

version of FLOW Insights and you will be informed of the required version.

1. Run FLOW Insights and press the start FLOW button.

2. On the first page enter the camera's IP address - if unchanged this is: 192.168.50.10

3. On the second page, log in with the username "admin" and password "admin" which are set as default.

4. Design any sensor you need!

You are now communicating with the camera and you can start configuring it.

Congratulations – you have successfully connected your very first TrafficCamera. You can now enjoy the power of acclaimed DataFromSky video analytics. Before configuring the analytics we will quickly talk about the camera positioning and installation.

Camera installation and framing

The guide so far considered the first setup and testing of the camera in indoor conditions where you can for example point it out of the window to monitor traffic but the TrafficCamera is prepared for permanent outdoor installation thanks to its rugged enclosure with the IP67 rating and the IK10 standard. It can be installed, for example on walls or light poles.

For testing purposes, you can place the camera indoors on a window parapet and monitor the street next to you.

It is also important to keep in mind that the better the video input, the better the results! To learn about framing, angles, camera height, and other advice on ideal camera setup please refer to the Framing section of the TrafficCamera manual.

How to work with FLOW Insights?

We have an extensive help section with many articles and videos to help you understand how FLOW Insights works. You can use the search bar on the top right of the help section to find what you are looking for. Below you can see a list of the most important guides to help you get started with FLOW.

What exactly can you do with the TrafficCamera smart video analytics starter kit?

The best way to learn FLOW is by applying it to a specific use case making it easily understandable. Choose a specific use-case guide that you like and follow along.

Use-case guides:

In case you have not found what you have been looking for please get in touch with us using the live chat or send us an email to support@datafromsky.com.

Links

• Do you have any questions? Contact us!

• Follow us on Linkedin.

• Learn more about FLOW.

• Download the demo version of FLOW.

• Visit our homepage to view products and news.

Thank you for your interest! Have a great day!

Let the traffic flow - with FLOW!

Please send us an email with a request to info@datafromsky.com if you would like to purchase additional components such as a pole mounting kit or a right-angle bracket wall mount as well.

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