Creating Your First AI Camera Task

This section guides you through the step-by-step process of creating a sample task to get you started on using the platform.

Hint: Creating a task first requires various settings to be configured beforehand, such as location and compute node. Don't worry if you don't get everything the first try!

Quick Start

Watch our overview video to get started:

What is a Camera Task?

A Camera Task allows you to link a specific camera feed to your dashboard and select the exact events you want to monitor, allowing you to manage all the insights for a single location in one place.

Sample case: If you have an indoor camera in a retail store pointed at the checkout, you can create a task named Cash Register View and consolidate multiple detection events into it, such as queue length monitoring, crowding, and unauthorized area breaches.

Below are the steps to creating your first Camera Task.

Step 1: Add a New AI Camera Task

1. Navigate to the Task page, which is the main dashboard for checking all your running tasks.

1. Click the + Task button on the top right corner.

1. Select Camera Task to begin configuring a detection task for a single camera.

Hint: Users have more options for task creation, such as batch creation via csv upload and video tasks. But camera tasks remain the ideal entry point for new users due to their intuitive nature, making them the perfect introduction to the platform’s most common task type.

Step 2: Configure Task Information

Fill out the following fields:

• Task Name: Enter a name for the task. Often this is set to be the camera's name in its video management system (VMS).

• Location:

  • Choose an existing organization and location.

  • Or click New to define a new location.

    • For new locations, the inputted coordinates will define that location's time zone.

  • Read more on location setup here.

• Camera:

  • Select an existing camera connected to the system.

  • Or click New to add a new camera stream.

  • Read more on camera setup or upload multiple cameras at once here.

Advanced Options (Optional)

1. CPU / GPU Decode

   Select the preferred decoding option:

   • CPU: Standard video decoding.

   • GPU: Utilizes GPU acceleration for faster processing—recommended for high-resolution or high-frame-rate video. Requires compatible NVIDIA GPU.

2. Compute Target Choose the cluster where inferencing will run:

   • Each cluster contains multiple nodes with the same configuration.

   • Large scale deployments may have clusters in different locations or networks (e.g., cluster1 with 3 nodes, cluster2 with 8 nodes.)

3. Compute Node Select the specific machine within the cluster that executes the inference task.

4. Task Scheduling

   Customize task execution timing:

   • Full-Time: Runs the task 24/7.

   • Daily: Set specific time ranges.

   • Weekly: Choose specific days and time ranges.

Once everything has been filled in, click Next on the bottom right.

Step 3: Select AI Model Detection Scenario

Scenarios are the high-level categories or that define what your camera is looking for (e.g., Vehicle Counting, PPE Detection, or Security).

Choose one or more AI detection scenarios you would like to focus on for that camera. Available options include (but are not limited to):

• Virtual Fencing

• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Compliance

• Fire and Smoke Detection

• Construction Activity Monitoring

• Pathway or Object Stacking Detection

• People and Traffic Counting

If the scenario you want to select is not available in the options, you can click Skip & Create to create a blank task and upload your custom scenario later on.

Otherwise, click Next to proceed.

Hint: Supported scenarios may vary depending on the software version of Observ deployed.

Step 4: Event Types and Notifications

Event Types are the specific triggers within a scenario that actually generate an alert or event log. After selecting the desired scenarios to detect, select the specific event type related to that scenario.

Hint: Here's an example. After selecting the Vehicle Counting scenario, tick Real-Time Bus Count Alert and Real-Time Truck Count Alert to isolate the detection to just buses and trucks.

Afterwards, click Create to complete task setup.

The newly created task will now appear in the Task Dashboard.

Hint: Ensure proper network bandwidth and hardware capabilities to maintain smooth task performance.

Pausing, Terminating, and Deleting Tasks

Once a task is created, you can manage its lifecycle using the Pause, Terminate, or Delete actions.

• Pause: Temporarily halts the task. The task can be resumed or restarted at any time.

• Terminate: Permanently stops the task. It cannot be restarted, but it remains visible on your dashboard under the Other category for your records.

• Delete: Removes the task from your active dashboard. While the card is gone, the underlying metadata and event logs remain accessible under Event Records.

Hint: Because metadata is preserved after termination or deletion, task names must remain unique. You cannot reuse the name of a terminated or deleted task for a new one.