V0LT - Predator

An image of a black Subaru Impreza WRX with a Predator system completely concealed from view

A system running Predator can be installed in nearly any vehicle, adding both ALPR capabilities and the features of a traditional dash-cam.

A screenshot of the main Cortex dashboard in light mode

When linked to an interface like V0LT Cortex, Predator can be a user-friendly, stand-alone license plate recognition platform.

A screenshot of the main Optic interface with a dark theme

When linked to an interface like V0LT Optic, Predator can operate like a traditional dash-cam with intuitive controls.

A screenshot of Predator's console output, with a bright red banner with the Predator name.

Of course, experienced users can use all of Predator's functionality directly from the command line, without the need for an external front-end interface.

Predator is a multi-purpose computer vision platform focused on license plate reading and object recognition. Predator can analyze pre-recorded video from dashcams, security cameras, or other devices, as well as real-time video streams from live vehicle-mounted cameras and static webcams. In addition to video analysis, Predator is also capable of acting as a standard dash-cam or security camera, eliminating the need to install multiple devices for a single usage situation. When installed in a vehicle, Predator can seamlessly detect and read license plates as you drive, sending you alerts automatically based on customizable criteria. When installed as a stationary security camera, Predator can run in the background, sending push notifications and/or using audio alerts to indicate important events.

Predator is the main component in a larger ecosystem. To learn more about the Predator ecosystem as a whole, see this page. Documentation regarding hardware, usage, and installation is bundled with all downloads at the bottom of this page. Pre-assembled kits are available here.

If you find Predator to be useful, and are looking for a graphical front-end for its functionality, check out Cortex and Optic. These programs serve as front-ends for Predator's ALPR and dashcam functionalities respectively.

Completely Private

Since Predator is open source, self hosted, offline, and self contained, you can rest assured that it's completely private, and it doesn't collect any of the information you provide it.

Offline Capable

Predator works entirely offline, and never needs to connect to the internet to function. All internet based functionality is entirely optional and non-critical to normal operation.

Fully Integrated

Predator can fully integrate with your vehicle using custom hardware and configurable inputs, Predator can use discrete buttons to control events, show a video overlay when the brake is pressed, or even automatically save dashcam video when the horn is used.

Open Source

Predator is free and open source from top to bottom, and is free software, meaning you can make changes and distribute them to others freely.

Generic Hardware

By design, Predator doesn't require specialized hardware to run. While higher resolution cameras will obviously yield better results, any video format supported by FFMPEG will work with Predator.

Easy Setup

While being technically minded will certainly help, Predator doesn't require professional installation or setup to function. As long as you're reasonably experienced with the Linux command line, setting up Predator should be a piece of cake.

Highly Customizable

Predator is extremely customizable, making it easy to fit into any use case. Whether you want an intelligence security camera, or a powerful dashcam device, Predator can be adjusted to fit your needs.

Mobile First

Predator is designed to support low-energy-usage hardware such that it can be easily installed in a vehicle. A single USB port is enough to power an entire Predator system.

Location Aware

Predator supports GPX files to allow for correlating license plates detected in pre-recorded video to their physical coordinates. This makes information gathered from analyzing long streams of dashcam video much more useful and effective.

Customizable Alerts

Predator supports customizable real-time alerts, allowing the user to be notified when a license plate matching one on a list is detected through audible sound alerts, visual cues, and push notifications!

Distraction Free

Predator is designed to be safe, regardless of the installation context. It's easy to configure Predator to completely hands (and eyes) free, ensuring that you don't have to look away from the road when Predator runs in a mobile context.

Full Dashcam

Predator comes with a fully featured dash-cam mode, allowing for customizable real-time recording without processing license plates. Dash-cam videos can later be processed by Predator in pre-recorded mode. Predator's dash-cam mode allows for multi-channel recording, provided the hardware supports it, making it easy to simultaneously record multiple angles using multiple cameras.

Headless Ready

While Predator comes with a straight forward interface, it can be fully configured to run in headless mode, without any user interaction necessary. This makes it perfect for vehicle installations, where the driver wants Predator to automatically start when the vehicle turns on without any user input, especially when paired with a compatible user interface.

Object Recognition

In addition to license plate scanning, Predator also supports general object recognition. It can collect a list of common objects and save them to a file, making it easy to find important events.

Well Documented

Predator's extreme customizability can be a bit overwhelming to new users. For this reason, Predator is extensively documented, and comes bundled with step-by-step guides on how to download it, install it, configure it, and run it.

Dependable Alerts

While it shouldn't be fully relied upon for safety critical tasks, Predator is designed to be extremely dependable regardless. When configured appropriately, steps are taken to decrease the likelihood that Predator will fail to alert to a true positive due mistakes in the analysis.

Adaptive Framerate

Predator automatically adapts to changing lighting conditions in both real-time and dashcam mode by allowing the frame-rate to change dynamically over time. Predator automatically detects frame-rate changes, and updates the playback speed of saved video files accordingly.

Parking Mode

Predator supports automatic parking dashcam functionality, where recording stops when the vehicle is parked, until motion is detected. This allows Predator to run continuously while only capturing important events on video.

Customizable Logging

Predator's ALPR and object recognition features include customizable logging, where a comprehensive history of all license plates and objects identified can be saved to disk for later analysis.

Downloads

Since this program is written in Python, all of the downloads are identical, per version number. They are only seperated by platform for sake of clarity, and to demonstrate which platforms are compatible. The source code download will give the exact same files as the platforms themselves.