camera-watch
YOLOv8-based camera surveillance with object detection. Works with any IP camera supporting RTSP streams or HTTP snapshots (Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink, Amcrest, Unifi, and more). Detects 80+ object types (person, car, dog, etc.) and sends notifications with snapshots. Use for motion detection, night watch routines, or security monitoring.
Best use case
camera-watch is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
YOLOv8-based camera surveillance with object detection. Works with any IP camera supporting RTSP streams or HTTP snapshots (Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink, Amcrest, Unifi, and more). Detects 80+ object types (person, car, dog, etc.) and sends notifications with snapshots. Use for motion detection, night watch routines, or security monitoring.
Teams using camera-watch should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/camera-watch/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How camera-watch Compares
| Feature / Agent | camera-watch | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
YOLOv8-based camera surveillance with object detection. Works with any IP camera supporting RTSP streams or HTTP snapshots (Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink, Amcrest, Unifi, and more). Detects 80+ object types (person, car, dog, etc.) and sends notifications with snapshots. Use for motion detection, night watch routines, or security monitoring.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Camera Watch
Real-time object detection on IP cameras using YOLOv8. Works with any camera supporting RTSP or HTTP snapshots. Detects people, vehicles, animals, and 80+ object types. Sends notifications with snapshots when objects are detected.
## Features
- HTTP snapshot mode (reliable) or RTSP streaming
- YOLOv8 object detection (80 COCO classes)
- WhatsApp/iMessage notifications with snapshots
- Configurable confidence threshold and cooldown
- Multi-camera support
## Setup
### 1. Create project directory
```bash
mkdir -p ~/camera-watch && cd ~/camera-watch
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install opencv-python ultralytics pyyaml requests
```
### 2. Copy scripts
Copy `scripts/camera_watch.py` to your project directory.
### 3. Create config.yaml
```yaml
notifications:
enabled: true
whatsapp: "+1234567890" # Your phone number
cooldown_seconds: 60
recordings:
snapshots_dir: "./snapshots"
keep_days: 7
logging:
file: "./logs/detections.log"
level: "INFO"
cameras:
front-door:
name: "Front Door"
ip: "192.168.1.100" # Your camera IP
channel: 1 # Hikvision channel number
user: "admin" # Camera username
password: "yourpassword" # Camera password
poll_interval: 2
enabled: true
track:
- person
- car
confidence: 0.5
model:
name: "yolov8s" # Options: yolov8n (fast), yolov8s (balanced), yolov8m (accurate)
device: "cpu" # Use "mps" for Apple Silicon, "cuda" for NVIDIA
```
### 4. Run
```bash
# Test cameras
python camera_watch.py --test
# Run in foreground
python camera_watch.py
# Run in background
nohup python camera_watch.py > /tmp/camera-watch.log 2>&1 &
```
## Detectable Objects (YOLOv8 COCO)
**People & Animals:**
person, bird, cat, dog, horse, sheep, cow, elephant, bear, zebra, giraffe
**Vehicles:**
bicycle, car, motorcycle, airplane, bus, train, truck, boat
**Common objects:**
backpack, umbrella, handbag, suitcase, bottle, cup, chair, couch, bed, laptop, cell phone, tv
**Full list:** 80 classes including sports equipment, food items, furniture, and more.
## Integration with Night Watch
For automated night routines, create a separate script that:
1. Starts camera-watch at night (e.g., 00:00)
2. Stops camera-watch in morning (e.g., 07:00)
3. Sends report with detections and snapshots
Example cron integration:
```bash
# Start at midnight
0 0 * * * cd ~/camera-watch && source venv/bin/activate && nohup python camera_watch.py > /tmp/camera-watch.log 2>&1 &
# Stop at 7am and send report
0 7 * * * pkill -f camera_watch.py
```
## Notifications
The script sends notifications via Clawdbot gateway API. Ensure Clawdbot is running and configure the gateway URL in the script if needed.
## Troubleshooting
**Camera not connecting:**
- Verify IP address and credentials
- Check if camera supports ISAPI (Hikvision) or try RTSP
- Ensure camera is on same network
**False positives:**
- Increase confidence threshold (0.5 → 0.7)
- Clean camera lens (spider webs, insects)
- Adjust detection area if possible
**High CPU usage:**
- Increase poll_interval (2 → 5 seconds)
- Use smaller model (yolov8n instead of yolov8s)Related Skills
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