Webcam Alert

A Python-based security system that uses your computer's webcam to detect motion and send email alerts with captured images when movement is detected.

Features #

• Real-time motion detection using webcam
• Automatic email notifications with captured images
• Configurable motion sensitivity
• Clean and efficient image management
• Multi-threaded processing for better performance

Requirements #

• Python 3.x
• OpenCV (cv2)
• SMTP access for email functionality
• python-dotenv (for environment variables)

Installation #

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/AhmadTawil1/webcam-alert.git
cd webcam-alert

2. Install the required packages:

pip install opencv-python python-dotenv

3. Configure email settings:
   • Create a new file named .env in the project root directory
   • Add the following variables to the .env file:

     EMAIL_PASSWORD=your_email_app_password
     EMAIL_SENDER=your_email@gmail.com
     EMAIL_RECEIVER=recipient_email@gmail.com
     

   • Replace the values with your actual email credentials
   • Make sure to use an app password for Gmail (not your regular password)
   • Never commit the .env file to version control

Usage #

1. Run the main script:

python main.py

2. The program will:

   • Start your webcam
   • Begin monitoring for motion
   • Send email alerts when motion is detected
   • Save captured images in the images directory

3. Press 'q' to quit the program

How It Works #

The system uses computer vision techniques to:

1. Capture video from the webcam
2. Convert frames to grayscale and apply Gaussian blur
3. Compare consecutive frames to detect motion
4. When significant motion is detected:
   • Capture and save the image
   • Send an email notification with the image attached
   • Clean up old images

Security Note #

• The system uses Gmail's SMTP server for sending emails
• Email credentials are stored in environment variables for security
• Make sure to use an app password instead of your main email password
• Keep your .env file secure and never share it
• The .env file is already in .gitignore to prevent accidental commits

Contributing #

Feel free to submit issues and enhancement requests!

License #

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.