AI-Powered Security Camera & Sensor Alert System (Prototype/Pilot Build)

We're building a pilot AI security monitoring system to replace traditional on-site guarding for sites such as depots, yards, commercial premises, and rural land.

We need a system that can:

Connect to IP/CCTV cameras (existing or freelancer-recommended hardware) and motion/perimeter sensors
Use AI/computer vision to distinguish between people, vehicles, and animals — not just raw motion — to cut down false alarms
Send real-time alerts (app notification, SMS, or WhatsApp/Telegram) when it detects a genuine event, e.g. a person on-site after hours
Provide a simple dashboard or live-view where we can check camera feeds and recent alerts remotely
Be built in a way that can scale from one pilot site to multiple sites later

This is a first pilot build — we want something working and reliable rather than over-engineered. Please propose your recommended tech stack (cameras, AI model/service, hosting, alerting method) as part of your bid, and break your price into phases:

Camera/sensor integration + live feed
AI detection layer (person/vehicle/animal classification)
Alerting + dashboard

Ideal freelancer: experience with computer vision (e.g. OpenCV, YOLO, or similar), IoT/camera integration, and comfortable working with a non-technical client to explain trade-offs (cost vs. accuracy vs. complexity).

We're a small UK-based team moving from traditional in-person security guarding into AI-led monitoring, so real-world reliability matters more than flashy features.