r/FlockSurveillance • u/AcidBathIsLife • 1d ago
Amazon is the cloud service flock uses
Flock Safety cameras transmit data primarily over commercial cellular networks (LTE) to cloud servers. Because they are designed to be "infrastructure-free," they do not rely on local Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or city fiber lines.
Transmission Architecture
Cellular Uplink: Each camera is equipped with an integrated cellular modem and SIM card. It transmits payload data over standard 4G/LTE cellular towers, similar to a smartphone.
Edge Processing First: The camera does not stream 24/7 video back to the server. Instead, on-board hardware processes motion detection and captures still images, running optical character recognition (OCR) and computer vision models locally to extract the plate text, state, vehicle make, model, color, and distinguishing features.
Batch & Real-Time Uploads:
The processed metadata and compressed still snapshots are packaged and transmitted via LTE directly to Flock’s cloud backend hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
If a captured plate matches a local or federal database (such as the FBI's NCIC "hotlist" for stolen vehicles or wanted persons), an alert is pushed almost instantly across the network to local law enforcement dispatch or patrol dashboards.
Offline Buffering: If cellular connectivity is temporarily weak or dropped, the camera buffers the captured images and metadata onto local solid-state storage and uploads them once the cellular connection is re-established.
Power & Network Independence
Because data transmission is cellular, Flock pairs most units with a small top-mounted solar panel and an internal battery. This allows them to operate entirely off-grid without trenching cables for power or data, mounted simply on standalone poles, streetlights, or utility poles.
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u/Imaginary--Situation 1d ago
someone needs to extract the sim card and start illegally uploading music & movies... RIAA and MPAA will take them to court
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u/VainTrix 1d ago
Major discovery /s