Axis P8815-2 3D People Counting Camera - 01786-001

Axis 01786-001 P8815-2 3D People Counting IP Camera

The Axis 01786-001 (often searched as 01786 001) is a specialized 1MP IP camera designed to count foot traffic in retail stores, museums, libraries, and public facilities without capturing identifiable personal data. It uses 3D imaging to deliver accurate bi-directional counts—separating entries from exits—and integrates with business intelligence systems via standard network protocols and ONVIF Profile G/S support.

Key Features

• 3D People Counting Engine: Tracks individuals in separate directional vectors (entry vs. exit) even in crowded scenes. Unlike 2D line-crossing systems, this handles overlapping silhouettes and oblique angles, making it deployable in real-world mall and corridor traffic without manual tuning per location.
• 1MP (1280 × 800) Progressive Scan CMOS: Optimized for counting accuracy rather than facial detail. The 1/2.9-inch sensor with fixed 2.8mm F2.2 lens delivers a wide field of view suitable for 250–600cm mounting heights, covering typical entrance and exit zones with minimal blind spots.
• Privacy by Design: Processes depth and silhouette data without storing or transmitting individual biometrics. This satisfies GDPR and similar privacy mandates—you get actionable traffic metrics without the legal overhead of facial recognition systems.
• 5 Lux Minimum Illumination: Handles low-light retail and museum environments. Adjustable shutter speed (1/28000s to 2s) prevents blooming under bright skylights while maintaining count accuracy in dim corridors. No separate IR illuminator required for most indoor spaces.
• H.264 Codec with Axis Zipstream: Reduces bitrate 30–50% versus standard H.264 when encoding static background areas—useful for 24/7 entrance monitoring where storage or bandwidth is tight. Motion JPEG fallback available for systems requiring frame-by-frame extraction.
• PoE Single Cable Deployment: Draws under 14W via standard 802.3af PoE, eliminating the need for separate power infrastructure at mounting height. Works with any standard PoE switch; no special injectors or power supplies required.
• 30fps @ 1MP (25fps in 50Hz regions): Smooth motion encoding sufficient to resolve individuals in typical walking speeds (0.5–1.5 m/s). Higher frame rates unnecessary for people counting; this rate balances storage efficiency against temporal resolution.
• ARTPEC-6 SoC with 1GB RAM, 512MB Flash: On-device analytics processing for the 3D counting algorithm; no external server or GPU farm required. Counting data streams directly via event triggers (email, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, MQTT), reducing latency to backend retail or building management systems.
• IP40 Aluminum Casing, PVC-Free: Suitable for indoor retail and public spaces. Not rated for rain or dust ingress, so mounting inside covered entrances or vestibules is mandatory. Compact 168 × 78 × 30mm form factor fits standard gang boxes and ceiling mounts without structural modification.

Integration & Compatibility

Supports ONVIF Profile G and S, allowing integration with third-party VMS platforms and business intelligence tools without proprietary APIs. VAPIX and AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) enable custom event workflows. Full network security stack includes HTTPS/TLS 1.2/1.3, IEEE 802.1X authentication, IP filtering, and signed firmware. Event actions trigger via email, HTTP webhooks, or MQTT to retail analytics platforms (e.g., Retail Insight, Shopper Insights) or building management systems.

Compatible with AXIS Camera Station for centralized multi-camera management and PoE switches with 802.3af budget; verify your switch has sufficient power budget if deploying 10+ units.

Deployment Considerations

Mount the 01786-001 at 250–600cm (98–236in) height with direct overhead or near-overhead angle for optimal silhouette separation. Angled or side-view mounting degrades counting accuracy because individuals merge into single blobs. Avoid direct sunlight on the lens (blooming) and position away from reflective surfaces (glass doors, mirrors) that confuse the depth sensor. Operating temperature range is 0–50°C; storage up to -40–65°C, so outdoor vestibules in cold climates require freeze protection around the power connector.

When to Choose a Different Model

If you need facial recognition, identity verification, or resolution above 1MP for wide-area overview, a higher-megapixel camera model in the Axis lineup is more appropriate. If outdoor all-weather operation is required, consider outdoor-rated variants with higher IP ratings and extended temperature ranges. For multi-entrance deployments with centralized analytics, evaluate a VMS architecture guide to understand scaling and licensing implications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Axis 01786-001 comply with GDPR?

A: Yes. The 3D counting algorithm processes depth and silhouette data without storing or transmitting facial features, PII, or biometric templates. You can configure the camera to discard video frames and retain only the count metadata, achieving full GDPR compliance for traffic analytics.

Q: What mounting height is recommended for the 01786-001?

A: Optimal range is 250–600cm (98–236in) from floor, mounted with the lens angled downward 45–90 degrees to capture full-body silhouettes. Installation outside this range or with oblique angles significantly reduces counting accuracy.

Q: Can the 01786-001 differentiate direction (entry vs. exit)?

A: Yes. The 3D imaging engine separates bi-directional foot traffic, assigning each person to either an entry or exit count. This requires the mounting angle and zone configuration to be aligned with doorway geometry during setup.

Q: Is the 01786-001 suitable for outdoor use?

A: No. With an IP40 rating, the camera tolerates dust and occasional splash but not rain or direct weather exposure. Mount inside covered vestibules or indoor entrance areas only.

Q: What integrations does the Axis 01786-001 support?

A: ONVIF Profile G/S, VAPIX REST API, AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP), and event-driven actions via email, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, and MQTT. Compatible with AXIS Camera Station and third-party retail analytics and building management systems.

Q: Does the 01786-001 require network video recorder (NVR) storage?

A: The counting data itself is lightweight and typically published via MQTT or HTTP events, so a full NVR may not be necessary. However, if you want to retain video clips or forensic footage alongside counts, a network video recorder is recommended. Verify PoE power budget before adding multiple cameras to the same switch.

Ted Perry

Perspective based on aggregated IP Security Depot and affiliated engineering team experience.

The Axis 01786-001 is a niche but well-engineered tool for retail and public facility traffic analysis where privacy compliance is non-negotiable. The 1MP 3D counting payload, paired with the sub-14W PoE envelope, is a deliberate trade-off: you sacrifice facial resolution and high-motion detail in exchange for dead-simple deployment and GDPR-first architecture. If your integration requirement is strictly foot-traffic metrics (entry/exit splits, hourly occupancy, queue depth), this camera delivers solid accuracy without the regulatory or installation complexity of full-resolution surveillance.

Technical Highlights:

• 1/2.9" RGB CMOS with 2.8mm fixed optics: Optimal viewing angle (approx. 110° horizontal) for typical door/corridor geometry. The fixed lens eliminates servo complexity and mechanical failure points—no focus hunting or zoom creep on 24/7 operation.
• ARTPEC-6 SoC with on-device 3D inference: Counting algorithm runs locally; no cloud dependency or frame forwarding to external GPU. Reduces latency to <500ms for near real-time occupancy updates and eliminates per-frame licensing fees charged by some cloud analytics vendors.
• Zipstream H.264 adaptive bitrate: In a typical retail setup with static background (doorway, corridor), expect 50–70% bitrate reduction versus baseline H.264. For a 10-camera entrance/exit grid recording 24/7, this can drop storage from multi-terabyte to manageable single-NVR footprints.
• MQTT/HTTP event triggering: Counts are published as lightweight JSON events (e.g., {"entry": 42, "exit": 38, "timestamp": ...}) rather than full video streams. Direct integration with retail BI platforms (Shopify, Adobe Analytics, Tableau connectors) without middleware translation.

Deployment Considerations:

• Mounting angle is critical: Install 01786-001 with a strong downward tilt (45–90°, ideally 60–75° for shoulder-height entry zones). Oblique or side angles blur silhouettes and spike false-negatives; test coverage before final commissioning.
• Background reflections degrade depth: Avoid mounting over polished floors, glass storefronts, or mirrored surfaces. These confuse the 3D sensor into phantom detections. Matte or textured flooring is ideal.
• IP40 indoor-only rating: Not weatherproof. Exposed outdoor vestibules, loading docks, or dock-leveler areas require a different model or protective enclosure. Cold-climate installations below 0°C may see condensation inside the lens—apply lens heaters or deploy in climate-controlled covers.
• Zone calibration per doorway: The ARTPEC-6 firmware allows you to define entry/exit zones with pixel-level precision. Misaligned zones (e.g., defining entry as the left half of a double-door, exit as the right) will misclassify traffic. Budget 1–2 hours per install for zone mapping and validation.

Position the 01786-001 for multi-entrance retail chains or public-access facilities (museums, libraries, transit hubs) where privacy-compliant occupancy tracking is baseline infrastructure. Skip this camera for high-security environments needing facial recognition or forensic-grade resolution; skip it also for outdoor weather-exposed locations. For privacy-first indoor traffic counting at scale, this is a low-maintenance, standards-based entry point.