Preset: Quick Preview {#simple}
Just one reCamera - view heatmap directly in its web interface.
| Device | Purpose |
|---|
| reCamera | AI camera that detects people in the video |
What you'll get:
- Live video with heatmap overlay (heatmap generated in real-time by the web interface)
- See busy vs quiet areas in real-time
- Privacy protection (faces auto-blurred)
Requirements: New devices need SSH enabled first — connect via USB, wait for boot (~2 min), visit 192.168.42.1/#/security, login with recamera / recamera, enable the SSH toggle
Step 1: Enable People Detection {#deploy_detector type=recamera_cpp required=true config=devices/recamera_yolo11.yaml}
Install the person detection program on reCamera so it can identify people in the video.
Wiring
- USB connection: IP address
192.168.42.1, plug and play
- Network/WiFi: Find reCamera's IP in your router admin page
- Username
recamera, default password recamera (use your own if changed)
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Cannot connect | USB: use 192.168.42.1; Network: check router for IP |
| Wrong password | Default is recamera, use your new password if changed |
| Install failed | Restart the camera and try again |
Step 2: View Live Heatmap {#preview type=preview required=false config=devices/preview.yaml}
Click Connect to see the live video with heatmap overlay.
Tip: The heatmap builds up over time - wait a few minutes to see the effect.
Note: Heatmap rendering requires ffmpeg. Open a terminal and install it:
- Windows: Open PowerShell, run
winget install ffmpeg
- macOS: Open Terminal, run
brew install ffmpeg
- Linux: Open Terminal, run
sudo apt install ffmpeg
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Black screen | Wait 10 seconds for the stream to load; check camera IP is correct |
| No heatmap overlay | Wait a few minutes for data to accumulate; make sure Step 1 completed |
| ffmpeg error | Install ffmpeg using the commands above for your OS |
Deployment Complete
Camera is ready! Click Connect above to view the live heatmap.
The heatmap builds up over time - areas where people stay longer will glow brighter.
Preset: Home Assistant Integration {#ha_integration}
Connect reCamera to Home Assistant for unified smart home monitoring.
| Device | Purpose |
|---|
| reCamera | AI camera with YOLO detection + RTSP streaming |
| Computer or reComputer R1100 | Runs Home Assistant |
What you'll get:
- Live RTSP video stream as an HA camera entity
- AI detection count sensor with per-class breakdown (person, car, etc.)
- FlowFuse Dashboard on reCamera for local debugging
Requirements: Docker installed · Same local network for all devices
Step 1: Deploy Home Assistant {#deploy_ha type=docker_deploy required=false config=devices/homeassistant.yaml}
Start Home Assistant. Skip this step if you already have HA running.
Target: Run on This Computer {#ha_local type=local config=devices/homeassistant.yaml default=true}
Wiring
- Make sure Docker Desktop is installed and running
- Ensure at least 2GB free disk space
Deployment Complete
- Open http://localhost:8123 in your browser
- Follow the onboarding wizard to create your admin account
- Remember your username and password — you'll need them in Step 3
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Port 8123 busy | Close the program using port 8123, or change the port in docker-compose.yml |
| Docker not starting | Open Docker Desktop application |
| Container keeps restarting | Make sure you have at least 2GB RAM available |
Target: Run on Remote Device {#ha_remote type=remote config=devices/homeassistant_remote.yaml}
Wiring
- Connect the target device to the network
- Enter IP address, username and password below
Deployment Complete
- Open http://<device-ip>:8123 in your browser
- Follow the onboarding wizard to create your admin account
- Remember your username and password — you'll need them in Step 3
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Connection timeout | Check network cable, test with ping |
| SSH authentication failed | Verify username and password |
Step 2: Deploy AI Detection Flow {#deploy_flow type=recamera_nodered required=true config=devices/recamera.yaml}
Install YOLO detection + RTSP streaming flow on reCamera.
Wiring
- USB connection: IP address
192.168.42.1, plug and play
- Network/WiFi: Find reCamera's IP in your router admin page
- Username
recamera, default password recamera (use your own if changed)
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Cannot connect | USB: use 192.168.42.1; Network: check router for IP |
| Wrong password | Default is recamera, use your new password if changed |
| Install failed | Restart the camera and try again |
Step 3: Add reCamera to Home Assistant {#configure_ha type=ha_integration required=true config=devices/homeassistant_existing.yaml}
Install the reCamera integration and connect it to Home Assistant.
Wiring
- Enter your Home Assistant IP address (e.g.
192.168.1.100)
- Enter the HA login username and password you created during HA setup
- Enter the reCamera IP address — use
192.168.42.1 if connected via USB, or the WiFi IP from your router
- HA OS users: leave the SSH fields empty — the system will set up SSH automatically
- Docker HA users: fill in the SSH username and password of the host machine (not the HA login)
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| HA login failed | The username and password here are for HA web login, not SSH. Check they are correct |
| Restart takes a long time | HA OS restarts the entire system — this can take 30-90 seconds, please wait |
| SSH addon install failed | HA OS needs internet to download the SSH addon. Check network connectivity |
| File copy failed | HA OS: check disk space. Docker: verify SSH credentials are for the host machine |
setup_retry after adding | HA cannot reach reCamera — make sure both devices are on the same network |
| Camera thumbnail blank, but stream works | Known issue: ffmpeg snapshot may time out; the live stream in the dashboard works fine |
| Sensor shows 0 | Normal when nothing is in view; verify at http://<recamera-ip>:1880/data |
Deployment Complete
Your reCamera is now integrated with Home Assistant!
Quick Verification
- Open http://<server-ip>:8123
- Go to Settings → Devices & Services — you should see reCamera (your-ip) listed
- Click into the device to see both entities
- Add a Picture Entity card to your dashboard for the camera stream
Access Points
- Home Assistant: http://<server-ip>:8123 — your unified smart home dashboard
- FlowFuse Dashboard: http://<recamera-ip>:1880/dashboard — local debugging UI on reCamera
- Detection API: http://<recamera-ip>:1880/data — raw detection JSON data
Next Steps
- Create automations using the detection sensor (e.g. turn on lights when person count > 0)
- Add the camera to a dashboard card with Picture Entity or Picture Glance
- Set up mobile notifications when specific objects are detected
Having issues?
- No video? Check reCamera IP and that Step 2 completed successfully
- No detection data? Make sure objects are in view; check Node-RED at http://<recamera-ip>:1880
Preset: OCR Text Reader {#ocr_reader}
Point reCamera at any text — signs, labels, meter displays — and the recognized characters appear on screen in real-time. All processing happens on the camera, no cloud needed.
| Device | Purpose |
|---|
| reCamera | AI camera that reads text from the video |
What you'll get:
- Live video with recognized text highlighted on screen
- Works with printed text, signs, labels, and digital displays
- All processing on-device — no cloud, no extra hardware
Requirements: New devices need SSH enabled first — connect via USB, wait for boot (~2 min), visit 192.168.42.1/#/security, login with recamera / recamera, enable the SSH toggle
Step 1: Install Text Recognition {#deploy_ppocr type=recamera_cpp required=true config=devices/recamera_ppocr.yaml}
Install the text recognition program on reCamera so it can read text in the video.
Wiring
- USB connection: IP address
192.168.42.1, plug and play
- Network/WiFi: Find reCamera's IP in your router admin page
- Username
recamera, default password recamera (use your own if changed)
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Cannot connect | USB: use 192.168.42.1; Network: check router for IP |
| Wrong password | Default is recamera, use your new password if changed |
| Install failed | Restart the camera and try again |
Step 2: View OCR Overlay {#preview_ocr type=preview required=false config=devices/preview_ocr.yaml}
Click Connect to see the live video with OCR text overlay.
Tip: Point the camera at text — signs, labels, screens — for best results.
Note: Video preview requires ffmpeg. Open a terminal and install it:
- Windows: Open PowerShell, run
winget install ffmpeg
- macOS: Open Terminal, run
brew install ffmpeg
- Linux: Open Terminal, run
sudo apt install ffmpeg
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Black screen | Wait 10 seconds for the stream to load; check camera IP is correct |
| No text detected | Make sure text is clearly visible and well-lit; check Step 1 completed |
| ffmpeg error | Install ffmpeg using the commands above for your OS |
Deployment Complete
Camera is ready! Click Connect above to view the live OCR overlay.
Point the camera at printed text — the recognized characters will appear above each detected region.
Preset: Face Analysis {#face_analysis}
Point reCamera at people — it detects faces and analyzes age, gender, and emotion in real-time. All processing happens on the camera, no cloud needed.
| Device | Purpose |
|---|
| reCamera | AI camera that analyzes faces in the video |
What you'll get:
- Live video with face bounding boxes and analysis labels
- Age, gender, and emotion displayed for each detected face
- All processing on-device — no cloud, no extra hardware
Requirements: New devices need SSH enabled first — connect via USB, wait for boot (~2 min), visit 192.168.42.1/#/security, login with recamera / recamera, enable the SSH toggle
Step 1: Install Face Analysis {#deploy_face_analysis type=recamera_cpp required=true config=devices/recamera_face_analysis.yaml}
Install the face analysis program on reCamera so it can detect faces and analyze age, gender, and emotion.
Wiring
- USB connection: IP address
192.168.42.1, plug and play
- Network/WiFi: Find reCamera's IP in your router admin page
- Username
recamera, default password recamera (use your own if changed)
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Cannot connect | USB: use 192.168.42.1; Network: check router for IP |
| Wrong password | Default is recamera, use your new password if changed |
| Install failed | Restart the camera and try again |
Step 2: View Face Analysis Results {#preview_face_analysis type=preview required=false config=devices/preview_face_analysis.yaml}
Click Connect to see the live video with face analysis overlay.
Tip: Point the camera at people — each detected face will show age, gender, and emotion.
Note: Video preview requires ffmpeg. Open a terminal and install it:
- Windows: Open PowerShell, run
winget install ffmpeg
- macOS: Open Terminal, run
brew install ffmpeg
- Linux: Open Terminal, run
sudo apt install ffmpeg
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Black screen | Wait 10 seconds for the stream to load; check camera IP is correct |
| No faces detected | Make sure faces are clearly visible and well-lit; check Step 1 completed |
| ffmpeg error | Install ffmpeg using the commands above for your OS |
Deployment Complete
Camera is ready! Click Connect above to view the live face analysis overlay.
Each detected face will show age, gender, and emotion — all analyzed on-device in real-time.
