Placement guide

Camera Placement Recommendations

Good camera placement is one of the most important parts of reliable fall detection. Our goal is not simply to see the room — it is to clearly see the floor area and couch / bed-height activity zone where a fall or unusual inactivity may happen.

Quick rules:
  • Avoid pointing the camera toward bright windows or strong light sources.
  • Do not mount the camera too high.
  • Do not mount it so low that furniture creates a large blind zone.
  • Use two or more cameras if one camera cannot cover the important floor area.
  • Focus on critical areas first: stairs, walkways, living room floor area, and other high-risk zones.

Placement details

What good placement should achieve

See the floor clearly

The floor is the main zone of attention for fall detection. Make sure the important walking and fall-risk area is visible.

See couch / chair level

In common rooms, the system should also see couch or chair level, because transitions from sitting to standing are important.

Avoid large hidden zones

Nearby furniture, walls, or extreme camera height can create blind areas that reduce detection quality.

What to avoid

Bright windows and strong light

Do not point the camera toward windows, lamps, or other bright light sources. Strong backlight can reduce image detail and make recognition less reliable.

Very high placement

A camera mounted too high may flatten the scene. Rugs, couches, and a person on the floor become harder to separate.

Camera pointed toward window Strong backlight Couch Person Avoid this direction
Example: avoid aiming the camera directly at a bright window.

General room placement

Recommended placement Couch Person No close furniture near camera Wide view covering floor and couch level
Place the camera where it has a clear, wide view of the important floor area and couch / chair zone.
Best general approach

Use the camera’s wide-angle view to cover a room diagonally, not just straight ahead. A diagonal view usually covers more useful floor area.

Keep nearby obstructions away

Avoid placing the camera immediately beside tall furniture, shelves, or door frames that cast large shadows or block part of the room.

Main zones to include

In a living room or bedroom, try to include the walking path, the floor beside the bed or couch, and the main sitting / standing area.

Choosing camera height

Too high Recommended Too low Couch Blind zone risk when too low
Height matters: too high reduces useful separation, too low can create blind zones.
If mounted too high

A steep top-down angle can make it harder to distinguish the person, rugs, couches, and floor transitions.

If mounted too low

Furniture or nearby objects may block the lower part of the scene, creating a blind zone close to the camera.

Recommended mindset

Aim for a moderate height that sees the floor well while still keeping side-view information. Test by checking whether a person lying down is fully visible.

When to use multiple cameras

Large rooms

If one camera cannot cover the full useful area without blind zones, add a second camera from another angle.

Rooms with furniture shadows

Use multiple cameras when furniture, partitions, or room shape block important areas.

Hallways and connecting spaces

Additional cameras are often useful where a person moves between rooms or where the walking path turns out of view.

Two-camera coverage Person on floor Furniture Furniture Use more than one camera when one view is not enough
Two cameras from different directions can reduce blind zones and improve coverage in larger rooms.

Bathrooms and private areas

Privacy-first low placement Sink / fixture Door Leg view only About 1 foot above floor can protect privacy
In bathrooms or private areas, a low placement can limit the visible area to the legs and lower-body zone.
Privacy-sensitive option

In a bathroom or other private area, the camera may be placed about 1 foot above the floor so it mainly sees the legs and the lower movement zone.

Trade-off

Lower placement reduces the detection distance. In larger bathrooms or long private walkways, additional cameras may be needed.

Same idea for other private areas

This approach can also be used in other privacy-sensitive places where full-body imaging is not desired.

Critical-area coverage

Use cameras where risk is highest

Cameras do not need to be installed everywhere first. Start with the most critical areas, such as stairs, walkways, main living areas, and other places where a fall is more likely to happen.

Walkways and transitions matter

A walkway between bedroom, bathroom, and living room is often more important than a decorative part of the room.

Test real positions

Before permanently mounting the camera, use a temporary position and test with FallShield to confirm that the lying person is clearly visible.

Why placement matters for future features

Direct fall detection is only the first step of our application. We are also working on broader activity awareness, such as identifying unusual behavior patterns — for example, when a person stays seated unusually long or does not wake up at the expected time.

Additional directions under development include:

  • Face recognition for security and activity verification
  • Monitoring caregiver / care assistant activity patterns
  • Voice recognition and voice communication features
  • Daily text reports about the person’s activity

Because of this broader roadmap, good camera placement today helps not only fall detection, but future safety and wellness features as well.

Back to Camera Setup Instructions Testing Instructions