System and method for identifying a defined object and alerting a user

A system for identifying one or more defined objects and alerting a user, the system comprising:

• a controller operable by the user to define the one or more defined objects by operating interface elements representing the one or more defined objects;
• a plurality of cameras, each camera having an imaging assembly configured to define a detection range within which environmental information is sensed, and each camera operable to record video footage of events occurring within the detection range;
• a plurality of alert devices, each alert device configured to emit an alert;
• and
• a processing unit including at least one processor, at least one memory store, and a communications module communicatively connected to the controller, the plurality of cameras, the plurality of alert devices, and the at least one processor, the communications module configured to facilitate communication between the processing unit and any of the plurality of cameras and the plurality of alert devices, the processing unit being arrangeable locally to the plurality of cameras to allow the video footage to be processed in situ to a defined sensing zone,
• the at least one processor being trained via multiple training processes and/or a feedback loop to recognise different objects in video footage, and the at least one processor configured to assess the video footage recorded by the plurality of cameras to identify the one or more defined objects represented in the video footage, and further configured so that:
• responsive to receiving identification and/or authorisation information from the plurality of cameras, define a first sensing zone having a boundary equal to or less than the detection range of one or more of the plurality of cameras;
• determine one or more of the plurality of alert devices to register with the first sensing zone;
• and
• responsive to receiving the video footage recorded by the one or more of the plurality of cameras associated with the first sensing zone, and determining the one or more defined objects are present in the video footage and, consequently, within the first sensing zone, communicate an alert signal associated with the first sensing zone to, the one or more of the plurality of alert devices registered with the first sensing zone to cause only the one or more registered alert devices to emit the alert.