I Tested Arlo's Deluxe New AI That Lets You Create Objects to Recognize

1 week ago 6

If you have an Arlo Secure subscription for your camera, you may have noticed an interesting recent addition: A beta program for "Custom Detection" that allows you to literally train Arlo's AI to recognize your own objects or activities.

Custom Detection is part of a huge update for Arlo Secure, a more-or-less must-have subscription program for Arlo's powerful security cameras. The update added more advanced AI recognition capabilities than anything we've seen so far, furthering the race between security companies for who can add visual learning capabilities the fastest. Now Arlo cams can recognize both individual faces and -- a unique offering in home security -- individual vehicles, so you can know exactly who is parking in your driveway.

But the feature that really caught my eye was a special beta program for an even deeper level of customization, letting you pick out a particular view, teach it to the cam and label it for your own personal smart alert.

Arlo suggests using this custom detection for an issue like leaving the garage open or leaving sprinklers or lights on, but with the right training, the potential could be far greater. So I tried a few experiments.

Arlo's new camera AI effectively recognizes specific objects like left-out toys

I'm currently testing both Arlo's Essential Cam 2nd-gen (a great affordable Arlo option) and its latest wired Floodlight Cam. The Essential cam works better for up-close object recognition that I wanted to test, so I set it up on a patio with a close view on what could be left behind.

An Arlo camera and a dog toy for Custom Detection testing.

The goal was simple enough: Recognize when a specific dog toy had been left on the patio. The object could be anything that you'd like alerts about if it appears. To do this, the beta program asks that you input pics of a "Yes" state and a "No" state.

Arlo's test function to confirm which Custom Detection state is shown on cam.

You can give the custom object detection an appropriate name and run detection tests multiple times to see if the camera can understand the current state. The more tests you run, the more Arlo can log that information and improve accuracy.

Arlo Custom Detection alerts shown the presence and absence of a dog toy.

Turns out, recognizing a dog toy like this (as well as a ball, etc.) posed few problems for the beta version. After a few tests, the cam reliably sent accurate alerts when the dog toy appeared on screen. That's notable because other object detection cameras keep the training locked behind the scenes and relegated to a few options like packages and vehicles. Successfully recognizing a specific object of your own choosing -- as long as it's relatively noticeable -- really opens up the possibilities.

Scheduling and activation settings for Arlo's Custom Detection.

I set the recognition up for motion activity, but you can customize what days it's working, whether you want it to check for your test state at a specific time and if you prefer to get a "Yes" notification or a "No" notification. (This could be handy if something important unexpectedly disappears.)

Recognizing letter differences is a work in progress but doable

Arlo Custom Detection states for recognizing B/X letters.

All right, toys, balls and other objects seem to work with Arlo's Custom Detection, but I wanted to try another type of training -- basic letter identification. If the AI can recognize different markings in an otherwise similar setup, that speaks well of its potential to distinguish between similar objects and recognize 2D details if necessary. I MacGyvered a very simple B/X test to see what it could do.

Arlo Custom Detection notifications for the presence of an X sign.

The results were not as decisive as the pet toy test, but after running the program several times, the Arlo AI seemed to catch onto the idea. After repeated tests swapping between the two letters, the cam proved more likely to recognize the X sign and less inclined to pop up any alerts about the "No" state B sign.

It's a promising result, one that shows Custom Detection could improve in the future to notice small details, color patterns, textures and more. It's no surprise that the learning algorithm is also being used to identify specific vehicles, which usually requires data beyond general shapes.

Getting Arlo's Custom Detection beta

An Arlo Essential cam mounted on white siding and wet with rain.

If these unique vehicle and custom detection options sound like something you could use for scoping out specifics around your home or yard, you can try out the beta program right now. You'll need a compatible Arlo cam (and I'm happy to make a few suggestions), as well as at least an Arlo Secure Plus program, which currently starts around $17 per month for unlimited Arlo cameras.

The beta program does have its limitations: You can only set up one customized alert at a time for now, so you'll have to pick the most important object or detail around your home. Maybe there's a door that keeps getting left open, an outdoor fireplace that's always left on or, like in my tests, someone's special item keeps getting left in the same spot. You could also use it to get notifications if a piece of artwork or other valuable suddenly disappears.

For more information, you can visit the guide to the best outdoor cameras, the top cameras without a subscription and the top 4K home security cameras currently available.

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