Axis Network Radar Tested (D2050-VE)

By Ethan Ace, Published on Dec 19, 2017

Axis is expanding into a new market - radar.

The company has released their D2050-VE Network Radar Detector, claiming to minimize false alarms, in any weather, day or night.

We bought and tested the D2050-VE to see how it performed, testing:

Detection range
False alarm issues
VMS integration
Setup and calibration
PTZ autotracking

And more. See our full results inside.

*******

***** ** *** ***** of *** **** ******* Radar *****-**, ***** *** several **********:

***** ********* ****** *** specified *****:*** ***** ******** ******** humans *** ******** **** few ****** (********* *****) at ********* ** ** 50m, *** ********* *****.
*** ***** ******:***** *******, *****, *******, debris, *** ***** ****** sources ** ***** ****** in ***** ********* *** not ******* *** *****. The **** ***** ****** seen ****** ******* **** due ** *** **** it *** ******* ** swaying ** **** ****, eliminated ** ********* ******* objects.
**** *** ***********:*** ***** ***** ** an **** ****** ** all ***** ******, ********** a *** ********* **** target ********, ******** *********** required ******** ** ******, which ********* **** ****** location ******** *** ******* the *** ** ******* this *********** ** * map.
****** ***** *** ***********:***** ** *** ***** was ******, ********* **** a ********* *** ** be ***** *** **********, along **** ******** ******, taking **** * *** minutes ** ********.

*******, ***** ****** ****** of ***** *** ***********:

***** ******* ***** *********:****** ******* ** ****** metal ******* **** ** cars *** ****** ****** spotty *********, ** ** worse, ***** ****** ** human ********. ***** ****** carefully ******** ********* ** the ***** ** **** of ******** *** *** off *********.
******* *** ************:******* ****' ****** **** the ***** "******* ************ for *** *******", **** tracking *** ******* *** could **** ** *** to *** **** ******/**** FOVs. ********** **** ***** resulted ** ******** ***** ********* cut *** ** ***** out ** *** ******'* field ** ****.

**** **** **** ****** little ** ** ****** on ***** *********** *** to *******. *******, ** have *** *** ****** this ** ********** **** been ****. ** **** to **** ** **** and/or **** ** *********.

*******

*** **** *****-** ***** for ~$1,200-1,300 *** ******. * VMS ******* **** ********* beneeded *** **** **** for **********.

Pros ** *********

******** ** **** ***** analytics ** ************ *******, the *****-** ******** ******, completely ******** ****** ***** alarm ******* **** ** shadows, ******, **** ******* foliage ** ******, ***. These ****** ***** **** false ****** ** **** the top ********* ** **** tested.

******** ** ***** ********* on ******* *******, ***** alerts **** ********* ** much ****** *** ******* cameras *** ********* *********. One ***** **** ** thermal **** ********* ** long *****, ***** *** Axis ***** ***** ******** limit.

** *** ****** **** *** finds ****** ****** ***** analytics (****** ******* ********* or ******** **** ******** ones), **** **** ****** be **** ****-********* **** the **** *****. **** you *** ** * separate ******, *** **** of **** ***** ******, the **** ** ********** the ***** *** *** cost ** *** *** license, **** ** * significant ****** ** ***** if * '*****' ****** can ** ***** *** alerting *********** ** ***.

Physical ********

*** ***** ** * wall ***** **** ***** 12" **** ** *" tall, **** *** ****** (black) ******* *********** **** for ***** ***** *** the ***** ****** ********* in *** *****, ******* portion.

*** *****'* ******** ***** is ****, *** *** radar ****** ****** *** be ****** ** +/- 25°, ****** ** **** the ******** **** ** the **** ** * building, *** *******. *******, no ************ ****** *** available, ** *** ***** may *** ** ****** to ***** ***-****** ***** which *** *** **** covered **** *** **° mounting *****, *** ***** up ** **** ** compensate *** ******.

*** ***** ******** *** Form * ***** *** 4 ************ */** ***** may ** **** ** trigger ***** ******* ** specific ***** ****** *****. Note **** **** *** Form * ***** *** carry *******.

** ****** ***** ******** in **** *****:

Reference *** ***********

*********** *** ***** ******** only * *** *****, asking *** **** ** input ******** ****** *** pick *** ****** ** the *** (***** *****). In *** *****, ********* distances **** ******** ***** this ***** *****.

RMD ***** ******* ** ***

******* ** *** ***** found ** ** *******, the ***** ******** ************* for ***** ****** ********* zones (***). ***** *** create ** ** ** include ** ******* ***** which *** ******** **********, allowing *** **** ** cover **** * ******* lot ***** ******* ****** the ***** ******, *** example.

***** *** ** *** to ******* ** ***** sized ******* ***/** ******** and/or ***** *** ******* objects ** **** **** detection.

VMS ***********

*** *****-** **** ** VMSes ** * ******, instead ** ***** ***** integrations ** *******, *** uses * *** ****** channel *******. **** ******* the ****** ** *********** work ***** **** ** performed, ** ** **** the **** ***** ***. However, this ***** ***** **** multiple ********* **** **** them *** **********, ******* of ***** **** ** place **** *** ** a ****** *** ****. Other ********* ********* ******* (*********,*****,********* *********) ********* **** ****** and ******** ********, *** a ***** ******, *** require ********** *** *********** ** place ***** ******* ** a *** ****.

********* *** ******* **** integrate ***** **** ******, which *** ** **** to ***** ******, *********, etc. *** ******* ***** shows ******** ********* *** two ***** ***** ** Milestone:

Detection *****

** *** *****, *** radar ******** ******** ******** out ** ~***/~***', *** specified *****, **** ** both ******** *** ***** targets. *********** *** ******** better **** ******** ******* moving ****** ** **** from *** ***** ******* of ***********, *** ***** was ****** *** **** in **** *****. ** the ******* *****, *** subject *****

************, ** *** ** false ****** ****** ** blowing ******* ** ***** animals, ******* *** *****'* coverage ********* **** *** brush ***** *****.

Metal ******* ***** *********

***** ******* **** ** vehicles, ************, ***** ********** poles, ***., ******* ********* performance ** ******* ** entirely. *** *******, **** the ******* ***** ****** the vehicle ** *** **** below, *** ***** ***** to ***** *** ***** he ** **** *** other ****. ***** ****** beware ** **** ***** when ******* *** *****, as ***** ** ******** or **** ***** ************/***** may ************* ******* *********.

PTZ ************ ****

*** *****-** ******** * PTZ ************ **** ******* installed **** *** *******, used ** ********* ****** ****** ***** ******** *******. In *** *****, **** tracking *** *** ******** properly **** ******* ********, as **** **** ****** cut *** ******** ** missed **** ********. *******, autotracking ***** **** ***** zoom ****** (~**-**% ******* of **% *******), *** fine ******* *** ** unavailable.

*** ******* ***** ***** a ******* ******** ** ~125' *** ******* **** and **** *** ***** and ******, ************* ******* properly **********.

**** **** **** **** to ******* ************ ** future ******** ********.

******** ******* ******

*** **** ****** ******** available ** *** **** of ******* *** ****: 7.15.4.1

Comments (24)

Scott Sheldrake

12/19/17 04:21pm

Wow this looks very cool!

Undisclosed Integrator #1

12/19/17 05:53pm

Good Article. We have been running ours for a while on test.

We found the detection range was good and it seems to integrate well with Milestone. It has only produced one false alarm that we are aware of in very heavy Sleet / Snow.

Shame about the price that kind of lets it down and pushes the product away from the small business job to the utility / military / corporate area.

Aside from that, its very impressive, well built and thought out.

Brian Anderson, CPP®

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 12/21/17 02:29am

Compared to a similar product, Spotter RF, the price point is very fair. However, Spotter RF has a much longer distance.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

12/20/17 08:49am

Great review, thanks!

Undisclosed #3

IPVMU Certified | 12/21/17 03:32am

Could you put one on a third part ptz mount running a fast pan-only guard tour to get 360 degree airport style radar coverage?

Rafael Oneda

In reply to Undisclosed #3 | 12/21/17 12:05pm

I dont know if I undestood your question....

The D2050-VE is only compatible with some Axis PTZ cameras... I think that only Q60 and Q61 series. There is an Axis PTZ autotracking plug-in based on VAPIX integration, so, its impossible to use third part PTZ

Alexander Bakke

In reply to Rafael Oneda | 12/21/17 01:09pm

He means to mount it on a fast panning platform so it would work like a radar.

Rafael Oneda

In reply to Alexander Bakke | 12/21/17 01:58pm

Oh... I got it

fox vision

02/07/18 08:55am

i am interested in this device is there any other modules that can do the same operation , with greater distance and lower cost .

if there is other options can any one help ??

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to fox vision | 02/07/18 06:59pm

I think you're going to find it difficult to find a longer range radar unit for less than $1,300 USD. As mentioned, SpotterRF sells longer range units, but pricing is nearly 8X more.

Zachary Brunette

08/08/18 03:14am

Thank you for this review, great info.

Were you able to test detection ability of a human subject moving within the wooded portions of the coverage area?

Daniel Cyr

Sirix Video Monitoring Central
08/27/18 12:15am

Good report and similar to our observations. We are monitoring a site that the radar was installed on a fence post and the integrator had to move it as it created many false alarms when there was high winds. Otherwise we monitor it through Genetec Security Center and it's perfect since when there is a detection, we see the live video and the map overlay with also a small PIP window with a 10 second clip of the alarm. It is very efficient for our operators to rapidly identify intruders. Overall a good solution to reduce the number of false alarms and still have a good security of your perimeter.

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Daniel Cyr | 08/27/18 02:58pm

Daniel, thanks for the info! One question: on the radar which false alarmed in high winds, what kind of fence post was it mounted to? And how tall? It must have been swaying quite a bit to alert on wind.

Chris Chambers

In reply to Ethan Ace | 03/23/19 06:10am

Not necessarily. It's 24 GHz frequency modulated continuous wave, using the Doppler Effect to detect movement. With the short wavelength, small oscillations at the site of the radar unit quite possibly interfere with its ability to discern what is moving versus what is not moving.

24 GHz is also the most common frequency for short range radar systems in vehicles, such as those for backing/parking/etc. 76 to 81 GHz is used for long range radar, only forward looking as far as I'm aware.

In a car, the radar unit's brain (or some other higher level processor) will have information about the speed of the vehicle so that it can compensate for the frequency shift seen in the reflected frequency "chirps" from movement of the radar unit versus movement of objects around the vehicle, while the Axis sensor would be expecting no movement of the unit at all.

Daniel Cyr

Sirix Video Monitoring Central
08/27/18 06:34pm

Hey Ethan! Indeed the post was around 14 to 20 feet high as to what we could see on the camera (I didn't see the install since we only monitor this site). The post seems to be a metal fence post but the corners ones that are a little bigger then the ones used for each fence sections. It wasn't swaying that much from the view we had of the camera pointing in that direction but enough to cause hundreds of false alarms per day.

Franky Lam

RICOH (HONG KONG) LTD
09/11/18 08:03am

Is anyone try on Dahua B-300 and B-100 model?

Undisclosed Integrator #4

11/25/18 04:33pm

and not far behind Dahua is Hikvision

https://www.hikvision.com/en/Products/Alarm/Security-Radar/DS-PR1-60

John Honovich

IPVM | 07/06/20 07:27pm

Axis now has released a new D2110-VE, marketing video below:

Undisclosed End User #5

09/02/20 06:08am

The install manual for this product says "If there are a lot of metal objects in the field of view there will be a lot of reflections impacting the performance." If the field of view includes a building with a prominent metal roof, will the reflections off the roof render the radar ineffective for a large area? Like using a mirror to shine sunlight into your eyes can blind you?

The above review explains that a target will go undetected *behind* a metal object (e.g. car), but my concern is whether the metal object also causes detection loss or false positives in a large area on the sides, in addition to area of the metal body itself.

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #5 | 09/02/20 04:17pm

In our testing, we did not have a building with a metal roof or sides in the field of view, but we did have a very full parking lot directly in front of it. If the roofs of 40 cars didn't skew it, i wouldn't think a metal roof would, either.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #5 | 09/04/20 11:05am

#5, Axis response:

Detection loss:

In most cases, like for a car, this is not a problem. However, the signal from a large metallic object, like a container, can cause degraded sensitivity to nearby targets moving slowly, (<1 m/s).

False positives:

False positives can arise from 2 main sources:

If the metallic object is very close to the radar (less than 2 meters typically), it may cause the receiver to saturate. The effect of this is false targets at the same distance but with higher velocity. This will very rarely happen in a real installation.

Depending on the orientation of the metallic object, e.g. a car, it can acts as a mirror. Reflections from a real target in the mirror (the car) will cause false targets to appear behind the car.

Please read more about reflections in our white paper https://www.axis.com/files/whitepaper/white_paper_radar_in_surveillance_en_2007.pdf

Undisclosed End User #5

In reply to John Honovich | 09/04/20 02:48pm

Got a reply from both IPVM testing and the manufacturer! Thank you both.

Robert Batten

09/02/20 04:00pm

Has anyone integrated one with exacqVision yet? If so, how daunting of a task was it?

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Robert Batten | 09/02/20 04:24pm

We have a screenshot from Exacq above. The D2050 integrates like an Axis camera, with the stream showing an overview map with object locations. Radar motion events were sent as motion detection, I believe.

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