What does DORI mean for a vehicle camera?
DORI stands for detection, observation, recognition and identification. The surveillance standard IEC 62676-4 links each level to a pixel density on the target, counted in pixels per metre. The more pixels fall on a face or a plate, the more the recording can prove.
| Level | Pixels per metre | What the image lets you do | At 1920 px and 100° |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detection | 25 | See that a person or vehicle is there | up to 32.2 m |
| Observation | 62.5 | See what a person is doing | up to 12.9 m |
| Recognition | 125 | Recognise a person you already know | up to 6.4 m |
| Identification | 250 | Tell who a person is beyond reasonable doubt | up to 3.2 m |
The distances in the last column are for a 1920 px stream and a 100° lens. They show how fast the levels fall with distance. Source and date checked: the foreword of IEC 62676-4:2025 lists the 2014 densities as 12.5, 25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 1,000 px/m. This page uses the middle four. Last checked 2026-11-03.
How does the tool calculate the density?
It finds the width of the scene at your distance, then divides the recorded width by it.
- H is the recorded width in pixels, FOV the horizontal lens angle and d the distance in metres.
- The density is for a target at the centre of the image, square to the camera.
- The four level values are settings in the page, so they can follow the edition of the standard you work to.
Sensor size or recorded stream?
A camera can have a 1080p sensor while the recorder saves a smaller stream to save card space or mobile data. What a reviewer sees later is the saved file. Enter its width, from the recorder settings or from the properties of a downloaded clip.
Many recorders keep a main stream on the card and send a sub-stream for live view. Check both. A sub-stream at 640 px gives a third of the density of a 1920 px main stream.
Cabin and road cameras
Each camera on a vehicle has its own job, so set the level per camera.
- A driver-facing camera sits close to the face, so identification is usually easy to reach.
- A road camera sees far, so it reaches observation at most distances and recognition only close.
- A door or passenger camera works at one to two metres, so a wide lens is often fine.
- A rear or reversing camera mostly needs detection and observation.
What about number plates?
IEC 62676-4 defines the levels for people. A plate has small characters, glare and motion, so the tool does not promise that a plate can be read. Use identification as a starting point, then test with a real plate at the same distance, speed and light.
The target width field shows how many pixels fall across the plate. Fewer pixels mean fewer per character.
Assumptions and limits
- Resolution, lens angle and target width are your inputs. The starting values are typical examples, not Tracom specifications.
- Lens distortion at the edge of a wide image lowers the real density there.
- Focus, compression, motion blur, night, infrared and glare are not modelled.
- A target at an angle to the camera shows fewer pixels than one square to it.
- The result is a planning figure. A test recording on the vehicle is the real check.
The four level values are those of IEC 62676-4:2014, as listed in the foreword of the 2025 edition (last checked 2026-11-03). IEC 62676-4:2025 (edition 2.0, published 2025-10-09) cancels and replaces the 2014 edition and redefines the densities as 20, 40, 80, 125, 250, 500 and 1,500 px/m. Set the four thresholds from the edition your tender cites, and check any tender clause you must meet.