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Video evidence is one of the most powerful tools in the justice system—but manually reviewing hours of footage to find key moments can be tedious and time-consuming. Smart Detection is an AI powered tool that accelerates video reviews by detecting when human forms appear in video footage, helping investigators tune in on moments that matter most.
This FAQ explains how Smart Detection works, how it streamlines investigative workflows and evidentiary review, and the safeguards that support the reliability of the technology.
You can find additional FAQs for our other AI solutions in our AI Era Plan FAQs page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Smart Detection?
Smart Detection speeds up video evidence review by automating the process of detecting and tracking human forms as they appear and reappear in Axon Body 3 and Axon Body 4 footage, allowing investigators to jump to key moments faster.
Learn more about Unlimited Smart Detection.
How does Smart Detection work?
The system uses object detection technology to identify shapes consistent with human forms. It groups similar objects together based on factors such as position in the video, body shape, and clothing color to detect when a human form appears and reappears throughout the video. Smart Detection is unable to tie an identity to any detections as it does not use facial recognition or identity matching technology.
What kind of safeguards are in place?
While Unlimited Smart Detection reduces the manual effort of sifting through body-worn camera footage, it still keeps humans in the loop. Investigators are essential to reviewing key moments and tying identities to the human forms detected to determine who suspects, victims or witnesses are.
This is an intentional safeguard designed to preserve privacy and is in alignment with Axon’s Responsible Innovation Framework. Unlimited Smart Detection does not use facial recognition, but instead uses object detection technology to distinguish human forms. It is then up to the investigator to tie the humans who appear in the video with a specific person or identity.
How can this assist investigators in case preparation?
Smart Detection accelerates video evidence review by surfacing relevant footage faster. Investigators can quickly locate specific interactions, verify claims, and build timelines for incidents.
Does Smart Detection alter the original video?
No. Smart Detection pulls out thumbnails of human forms in the video for faster navigation, as a layer on top of the existing evidence. The underlying video evidence and its metadata are untouched.
Is there a record of how Smart Detection is used?
Yes. All interactions with Smart Detection—such as clicks on detected people or timestamps—are logged in an audit trail. This transparency helps support admissibility and allows attorneys to review when, how and who accessed the evidence.
Smart Detection is also controlled by an agency-configurable user role permission and it respects other evidence access permissions so users with it enabled can only use it on the evidence they have access to.
What is the difference between Smart Detection and Unlimited Smart Detection?
Smart Detection is included with all Axon Evidence Pro licenses and allows users to manually request a smart detection for each individual file.
Unlimited Smart Detection works in the same way, but saves users even more time by automatically detecting human forms in every AB3 or AB4 video upon upload into Axon Evidence (in other words, no more manual requests required). Unlimited Smart Detection is included in the Axon AI Era Plan.
Conclusion
Smart Detection empowers investigators to review video evidence more efficiently than ever before. By surfacing what are often times be critical visual moments with a clear audit trail, it enhances case preparation while respecting the need for transparency and human oversight.
Learn more about Smart Detection and speak with an Axon expert today.