🛡️ HomeCam - Facial Recognition Camera

A simple, powerful home facial recognition system with live streaming and unknown person alerts.

Features

• Real-time face recognition from any /dev/videoX device
• Supports multiple known people (add photos to known_faces/)
• Automatically saves unknown faces to unknowns/ folder
• Web dashboard with live MJPEG stream and capture button
• Easy device selection at startup
• HTTPS with mkcert
• Works remotely from your local network

Setup

1. Clone or download the repository

git clone https://github.com/The-Incredible-Gamma-Man/Facial_Recognition_Python.git
cd Facial_Recognition_Python

2. Create virtual environment and install dependencies

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y cmake build-essential pkg-config libatlas-base-dev libopenblas-dev libjpeg-dev python3-dev libnss3-tools

pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install "setuptools<70.0.0"
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install git+https://github.com/ageitgey/face_recognition_models
pip install --no-deps --force-reinstall face_recognition

3. Add known faces

Add clear frontal photos (e.g. Mom.jpg) to the known_faces/ folder. The filename without extension becomes the displayed name.

HTTPS Setup with mkcert (Recommended)

Change YOUR_LOCAL_IP before hitting enter

# Install mkcert
curl -JLO "https://dl.filippo.io/mkcert/latest?for=linux/amd64"
chmod +x mkcert-v*-linux-amd64
sudo cp mkcert-v*-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/mkcert
mkcert -install

# Generate certificates
mkdir -p certs
cd certs
mkcert -cert-file cert.pem -key-file key.pem localhost 127.0.0.1 ::1 YOUR_LOCAL_IP
cd ..

Running the App

python app.py

You will be prompted for your camera device. The app now runs on HTTPS port 5000.

Access: https://127.0.0.1:5000 or https://YOUR_LOCAL_IP:5000

Project Structure

known_faces/     ← Add one photo per person here
unknowns/        ← Unknown faces are saved here automatically
certs/           ← cert.pem and key.pem (for HTTPS)
templates/
app.py

Troubleshooting

• Black screen: Try a different /dev/videoX device.
• Camera permission: sudo usermod -aG video $USER then reboot.
• "No face found": Use well-lit, frontal photos in known_faces/.
• HTTPS warnings: Run mkcert -install again and restart your browser.
• Remote access: Include your local IP when generating the certificate with mkcert.

License

MIT License

Made with ❤️ by The-Incredible-Gamma-Man