Needless to say, food safety has become an increasingly important concept. In this regard, Unisinsight has launched their 2MP network camera that is particularly ideal for food safety monitoring.
Needless to say, food safety has become an increasingly important concept. In this regard, Unisinsight has launched their 2MP network camera that is particularly ideal for food safety monitoring. This article takes a closer look, based on product testing by a&s China.
In order to ensure the health and safety of Chinese residents when dining out, the Chinese government has launched the “open kitchen, bright stove” program. A core element of the program is food safety monitoring, which relies on different types of sensors, including cameras.
However, camera usage in kitchen scenarios remains a challenge. “While cooking, moisture, oil smoke and other substances will be emitted, and oil stains are extremely difficult to clean over a long period of time,” a Shenzhen integrator told a&s China.
“Especially for cameras, which are installed at a high position, oil smoke and other substances will directly adhere to the camera. If they are not cleaned in time, the camera will become less effective, which defeats the purpose of ‘open kitchen, bright stove,’” he said.
To address this issue, Unisinsight has launched a 2MP network camera for food safety monitoring applications. The camera is not only smart but also resistant to oil stains and other kitchen substances, allowing users to have greater confidence in the safety and hygiene of their kitchens.
Light weight yet highly functional
The camera adopts the traditional box design. The outer covering is made of metal and plastic, which effectively reduces the weight while improving internal heat dissipation. The top shade can effectively block sunlight or other light sources from above.
The camera comes with a 1/2.7-inch CMOS. The main stream of the camera can reach 1920 × 1080 at 25fps, and the secondary stream 704 × 576 at 25fps. The camera is also equipped with a 2.8-12mm, F1.8-3.3 zoom lens. When used in the wide angle mode, the camera can cover the whole scene with just one device.
Above and below the lens are infrared fill lights, which are mainly used in lowlight environments. a&s testing finds that the camera can still capture color video at 0.002 Lux conditions. In 0 Lux conditions, the infrared fill light will automatically turn on, thereby capturing video even in total darkness.
In front of the camera, a detachable lens protective cover is placed. The glass cover adopts a snap-on design, which is easy to install and remove. Further, the glass has a super-amphiphobic coating finishing, which can effectively reduce the adhesion of oil or water stains, thus minimizing impact on video capturing.
In addition, the camera supports functions such as backlight compensation, strong light suppression, wide dynamic range, and electronic image stabilization, effectively ensuring that the camera can shoot clear video in daily use. A sealing cover is on the side of the camera. Inside the cover is a Micro SD card slot, which supports up to 256G, effectively ensuring the integrity of the video data.
On the back of the camera, there are many interfaces such as RS-485, audio input/output, alarm input/output and power supply. The numerous interfaces allow the camera to be used with a variety of devices.
It is worth noting that, as the camera is mainly used in kitchen scenes, it supports the IP67 protection level, and any gaps are reinforced and sealed with silicone rings. Under this protection level, the inside of the camera is effectively protected against oil, water and other substances in kitchen environments.
AI empowerment
As a camera used in kitchens and food production scenes, the camera is equipped with Unisinsight’s self-developed AI algorithm with which the camera can achieve the following:
1. Protective gear detection: It can effectively detect the clothing of all personnel in the monitoring area. Once a person is found not wearing a hat, protective garment or mask, it will automatically issue an alert;
Person not wearing a mask detected.
2. Smoking detection: Anyone in the monitoring area found smoking cigarettes or having non-mask items on their mouth will be properly warned;
3. Rat detection: With the camera’s excellent hardware and AI capabilities, the camera can effectively detect rats even at night, thereby further ensuring the hygiene of the monitoring area;
4. Trash monitoring: The algorithm can realize real-time and comprehensive monitoring for trash cans in the monitored area. Once the trash cans are found to be full, the system will remind relevant personnel to dispose of the garbage.
In addition to AI, the camera also supports integration with third-party temperature and humidity sensors. By superimposing sensor data onto video, the user can intuitively understand the temperature and humidity conditions at the scene, allowing managers to control the temperature and humidity of the kitchen at any time to ensure the freshness of food.
Product advantages:
1. The front glass covering can effectively prevent oil and other foreign objects from interfering with the camera; the glass covering adopts the super-amphiphobic coating technology to effectively reduce the adhesion of oil;
2. The embedded AI algorithm can effectively detect staff not wearing protective gear as well as identify smokers, rats and overflowing trash cans;
3. Supports integration with third-party temperature and humidity sensors to enable overlay of environmental data to video, allowing managers to be informed of the temperature and humidity of the kitchen at any time to ensure the safety of food.
a&s comments:
Increasingly, users have discovered the limitations of camera usage in a kitchen environment. After all, kitchens are different from other facilities. A relatively sealed working space, a kitchen can easily be dirtied by oil, smoke and moisture in the air. The adhesion of these substances to the camera will affect its performance and render the AI ineffective.
In response to these problems, Unisinsight has launched their 2MP network camera for food safety applications. Its glass covering avoids direct impact of oil on the lens. The glass’ super-amphiphobic coating process reduces the adhesion of oil, so it doesn’t need to be cleansed all the time. The camera can also be connected to third-party temperature and humidity sensors to improve food and kitchen management.
A range of end user entities such as schools, restaurants, catering services and food manufacturing plants can benefit from the camera, which can help ensure comprehensive food safety and bring the concept of “open kitchens, bright stoves” to full realization.