Frontiers Market - Edge AI NVR System
Completed: Present
Architected a local-first video pipeline to monitor livestock in low-connectivity rural areas, processing RTSP streams on-device so monitoring doesn't depend on the cloud.
The Problem
Livestock monitoring in rural areas suffers from poor internet connectivity and prohibitive cloud ingress costs for video streams. Traditional off-the-shelf NVR solutions were too bandwidth-heavy and lacked the specialized AI capabilities needed for cattle management. Video streams would frequently disconnect, and cloud-based processing was both expensive and unreliable in areas with limited connectivity.
The Solution
Engineered a proprietary Edge AI architecture using Raspberry Pi 5 clusters as local compute nodes. Built custom NVR software that processes RTSP video streams locally, running computer vision models on-device for real-time livestock monitoring. Implemented a "store-and-forward" mechanism that queues critical data and intelligently syncs when connectivity is available, ensuring zero data loss. The system operates autonomously for days without internet access, maintaining full monitoring capabilities.
The Impact
A low-bandwidth, local-first monitoring system that processes RTSP video on-device, with no published cost or uptime figures. The local-first approach removed the dependency on consistent internet connectivity, and the custom NVR runs computer-vision models at the edge for cattle monitoring that off-the-shelf tools don't handle. It replaced costly third-party NVR subscriptions, cutting that upfront and subscription cost.