Night surveillance system for detecting intruding objects

The problem

Night surveillance suffers from one of two things: a camera recording twelve hours nobody reviews, or a motion sensor that alerts on every passing animal and gets switched off within a week. What's needed is a system that only alerts when something warrants it: an object entering a defined zone, at a defined time, with a photo proving the event. Review becomes precise instead of hours of uneventful footage.

How it works

1. TimingA light sensor determines whether it's night or day, and the system runs at night.
2. MonitoringThe motion and distance sensors watch the predefined zone.
3. ConfirmationBoth sensors must agree before an event counts, which reduces false alarms.
4. ImagingInfrared lights illuminate the scene, and the camera takes the photo.
5. RecognitionWhen an ID card is carried, the system recognizes the authorized person and doesn't raise an alarm.
6. UploadThe photo, time, and zone are sent to an online dashboard.

Project features

• It only takes photos when an event happens, instead of continuous footage nobody reviews.
• Each sensor confirms the other's reading, greatly reducing false alarms.
• The ID card tells the owner of the place from an intruder.
• An easy live demo: turn off the lights and walk in front of the system.
• All its parts are available locally, at a cost that suits students.

Expected challenges

These are the main obstacles to expect during the build, laid out clearly so you know them before you start.

• Setting the boundaries of the watched zone, since the sensor doesn't know on its own where the zone ends.
• The infrared lights have a limited range, and the image is dark beyond it.
• Stray animals cause many false alarms at night.
• Memory fills quickly when events repeat, requiring image storage management.
• Rain and dust on the camera lens hurt capture quality.

The consultation gives you a solution for each one.

Expected committee questions

Prepare your answers in advance: these questions come up often in defenses of similar projects.

1. How is a clear image achieved at night, and what role does infrared lighting play?
2. How is an intruding object told apart from a cat or a blowing leaf?
3. What's the purpose of the card reader, and how does the system handle authorized people?
4. Where are photos saved when the connection is down?

Practice the defense, question by question