Requirements and recommendations for the Unique Visitor Counting module

Hardware and software

Warning

The Eocortex Neural Networks package must be installed before it will be possible to use neural networks-based features of the module.

The following equipment is required to use this neural network-based module:

• A processor that supports AVX instructions;

• An NVIDIA video card (GPU) with the computation capacity index of at least 6.5 and with at least 4 Gb of memory; the parameters and performance of the video card must be similar or better than those of NVIDIA GTX 1650 Super model;

• Version of the video card driver at least 460;

• Swap file at least half of the total RAM size.

If the package will be installed on a virtual machine, it may additionally be required to:

• Enable support for AVX instructions in the guest machine settings;

• Use GRID drivers for GPU virtualization.

Warning

Eocortex must use video cards selected for running neural networks in monopoly mode. It is not allowed to use such card for other applications or tasks that consume GPU resources, including for displaying video. Simultaneous use of a video card for several tasks may lead to incorrect system operation: from analytics performance degradation to server instability.

Warning

Simultaneous execution of tasks of video displaying and analysis with the Face Recognition (Complete) or Unique Visitor Counting modules working on the Eocortex Neural Networks Standard package can cause significant lags of face recognition processes when using graphics cards of GTX 10XX and GTX 16XX series with 4 GB of video memory or less. It is recommended to use dedicated graphics cards for these tasks.

Warning

The neural network works with the 64-bit version of Eocortex only.

Warning

When upgrading Eocortex to another version, it is necessary to also upgrade the Eocortex Neural Networks package to the corresponding version.

Image

Images added to the face database shall comply with the following requirements:

• face positioning - strictly full-face, without turns;

• gaze - directly into the lens;

• neutral facial expression;

• eyes open and clearly visible;

• absence of headgear and dark glasses;

• the image is sharp and clear;

• no deep shadows;

• there should be no artifacts of scanning as well as rescanning from screens;

• proportions should not be distorted;

• no side light source (e.g., sunlight from a window) is allowed;

• image formats: jpg, png, bmp.

The module is resistant to changes in appearance:

DB	✓	✓	✓	✓

Video stream

• Optimal resolution for module operation: HD or FullHD.

• Frame rate: at least 10 frames per second.

• Video stream should not be mirrored (reflected horizontally).

Lighting and image quality

• The illumination of faces in the frame should be uniform and constant.

• If the camera is set against a bright light source (the sun behind an entrance door, etc.), adjust the exposure (or brightness) so that the subject in the frame is bright. However, an over-lighted background is acceptable.

• Image quality should be at least average. There should be no significant compression artifacts.

• The faces of moving people should not be blurred.

• The image should be colored.

Scene and camera position

• Faces of people should be fully visible in the frame.

• There should be no reflective surfaces in the frame: glasses, mirrors, etc.

• A strong side light source (sunlight from the window) is not allowed, because of which one half of the face is overlighted.

• It is allowed to place the camera above the level of the face, directly in the direction of recognized people. In this case, the camera angle should not exceed 35°.

• The distance between the pupils of the recognized face in the frame must be at least 30 pixels.

• The camera must be pointed directly at the faces of the people to be recognized. Angle between the face direction and the lens axis: must not exceed 30°.

Examples

Examples of violation of requirements

Overlay:

✓	X

Face illumination:

✓	X	X

Face blurring in motion:

✓	X

Unacceptable distance between the pupils of the eyes:

30 px	15 px
✓	X

Video stream quality:

✓	X

Tilt of the camera:

35°	50°	70°
✓	⚠	X

Side light source:

✓	X

Reflective surfaces:

✓	X

Horizontal rotation of the camera away from the plane of the face:

0°	15°	30°	45°	60°	90°
✓	✓	✓	⚠	X	X

Black and white image (night mode):

✓	X

Image clarity and sharpness:

✓	✓	X

Recommended camera settings

• Quality: highest.

• Bitrate: highest possible.

• Profile: highest possible.

• I-frame interval (GOV): 50.

• Stream smoothing: off.

• Exposure and brightness: such that the face is clearly visible for the scene (if the camera is pointing at a light source, an over-lit background is acceptable).

• Shutter speed: Do not set the shutter speed too low (more than 1/50), as this will blur moving objects.