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Lighthouse's AI-powered security camera is now shipping

It costs $299, with an additional AI service fee of $10/month.

Lighthouse's intelligent 3D security camera was supposed to ship in September, but now it's finally available for purchase. The camera is priced at $299. At checkout, you can choose either a $10/month AI service plan (with a 90-day free trial) or a lifetime plan of $200, with no further payments required.

The camera is powered by AI and a 3D sensor that can supposedly distinguish people from pets and recognize faces. Its onboard laser (similar to the 3D sensing devices used by self-driving cars) can measure the structure of what it sees and therefore differentiate objects and people from one another. Because of this capability, Lighthouse promises that you won't be bothered by false security alerts from shadows or pets because the camera can tell small objects from large ones.

The AI also understands normal speech patterns, so you can ask the camera questions like, "Did anyone walk the dog between 10 and 11 am?" The different types of tech within the camera work in tandem to deliver a full experience.

"Custom optics for a time-of-flight camera that directly measures the 3D structure of the environment," CEO Alex Teichman says in a blog post. "Recurrent neural networks for computer vision specifically tailored for use cases within the home. And a natural language interface to simplify -- and amplify -- the user experience." It will certainly be interesting to see if this camera lives up to its promises, as facial recognition and smart alerts in recent cameras, such as Nest's Cam IQ, have been disappointing.