SMD, short for Smart Motion Detection, is Dahua's AI motion detection that tells people and vehicles apart from everything else that moves. Ordinary motion detection alerts you whenever pixels change, so swaying branches, insects, shadows and weather can all set it off. SMD only raises an alarm for the targets you care about. Dahua introduced SMD in 2018, followed it with SMD Plus and the current SMD 4.0.
This guide explains how SMD works, the difference between SMD Plus and SMD 4.0, and which Dahua WizSense cameras and recorders we stock that have it.
What is Dahua SMD?
SMD is a motion detection feature that classifies what is moving. Dahua describes it as technology to differentiate human and vehicle shapes within a scene. Instead of "something moved", you get "a person" or "a vehicle", so your phone notifications and recordings are about real events.
How SMD works, step by step
The camera or recorder spots movement in the picture.
A deep-learning algorithm checks the shape of what moved and decides whether it is a person, a vehicle or something else.
Non-targets are filtered out: tree branches, insects, shadows, wind and, with SMD 4.0, small and large animals.
Only real targets trigger the alarm, such as a push notification to your smartphone, a recording, or the light and siren on an active deterrence camera.
Search is faster: you can play back only the events with people or only the events with vehicles.
SMD Plus and SMD 4.0
SMD Plus
Dahua launched SMD Plus in 2019. The original SMD ran on the recorder's CPU; SMD Plus adopts an independent AI chip with a new deep-learning algorithm, and Dahua says this improved computing power 10 times. Dahua says SMD Plus can recognise moving objects, separate humans and vehicles, and avoid false alarms caused by tree branches, insects, shadows, wind and other environmental factors. On SMD Plus XVRs, you can choose people or vehicles for playback to save search time. You will still see SMD Plus listed on many current WizSense cameras and recorders.
SMD 4.0
SMD 4.0 is the current version on newer WizSense cameras. Dahua says it has upgraded AI capabilities that filter out irrelevant objects in the scene, and a new deep-learning algorithm optimised to filter out small and large animals so they do not trigger false alarms.
Quick Pick
Dahua's Quick Pick works alongside SMD to find people and vehicles of interest in recordings. It optimises the search for SMD events and can compare clothing and vehicle colours. For searching by appearance across all your cameras, see Dahua AcuPick 2.0.
What SMD is good for
Dahua gives these examples:
Homes: protect the yard or drive while you are away, with push notifications to your smartphone only for people and vehicles.
Active deterrence: pair SMD with a camera's warning light and siren so they are triggered by real targets, not branches or shadows. See our TiOC guide.
Shops: search recordings for people and vehicles quickly.
Factories and farms: alarms for people and vehicles that filter out irrelevant objects.
SMD or perimeter protection?
SMD watches for people and vehicles moving anywhere in the picture. Perimeter protection (tripwire and intrusion) is set up with a line or zone that you draw, and alerts when a person or vehicle crosses or enters it. Many WizSense cameras and recorders have both, so you can use SMD for general alerts and tripwire or intrusion for specific boundaries.
Which Dahua products have SMD?
Dahua lists SMD across its WizSense range: WizSense IP cameras, WizSense NVRs, WizSense PTZ cameras and WizSense XVRs. These SMD models are on our website:
WizSense XVRs with SMD Plus (HDCVI and analogue systems)
See the full WizSense range and our Dahua XVRs. Features vary by model and firmware, so check the product page or ask us before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Does SMD stop all false alarms?
No system can promise that. SMD is designed to cut false alarms by only alerting on people and vehicles and filtering out things like branches, insects, shadows, wind and, with SMD 4.0, animals. Camera position and settings still matter.
What is the difference between SMD Plus and SMD 4.0?
SMD Plus moved SMD onto an independent AI chip with a deep-learning algorithm to separate people and vehicles. SMD 4.0 is the newer version, with upgraded AI and a new algorithm optimised to filter out small and large animals.
Can I add SMD to my old analogue cameras?
Dahua's SMD Plus XVRs can run SMD on the recorder, so a WizSense XVR can bring people and vehicle alerts to an HDCVI or analogue system. How many channels get it depends on the model, so check the XVR's product page.
Does SMD send alerts to my phone?
Yes. SMD events can be sent as push notifications to your smartphone through the Dahua DMSS app. See our guide to setting up DMSS.
Is SMD the same as AcuPick?
No. SMD decides when to raise an alarm. AcuPick is a search tool that finds the same person or vehicle across your recordings. Read Dahua AcuPick 2.0 explained.
Need help setting up SMD or choosing a WizSense system? Zenith Security Co has supplied trade and the public since 2012, from our Wolverhampton showroom, trade counter and warehouse, delivering to England, Scotland and Wales. Call us on 01902 902251.
Feature details are taken from Dahua's published SMD, SMD Plus and SMD 4.0 information. Availability can depend on model and firmware version.
