Event Rule Setup: Fall Detection

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Affected Roles: Administrator, Power Users

Related DW Software: DW Spectrum Professional, DW Ai Server Configuration Tool

Software Version: DW Spectrum Pro 6.0, DW Ai Server Configuration Tool 2.13.3.760

Last Edit: January 14, 2026

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Fall Detection Events

In select scenarios where site personnel must know when someone has fallen prone (retirement homes, hospitals, etc.) it may prove helpful to implement a “Fall” event rule in DW Spectrum.

This article will outline the recommended installation of cameras and how to create an event rule for Fall Detection.

Supported/Affected Devices:

DW Blackjack Ai Server Series

Required Software

Your DW Spectrum Site must be using software version 6.0.6.41837 or newer.
Your DW Spectrum Site must have the DW Spectrum Ai Plugin version 3.10.66 or newer installed.
Your DW Blackjack Ai Server must be using software version 2.13.3.760 or newer.
Your DW Ai Server Configuration Tool must be using software version 2.13.3.760 or newer.

Setting Up Fall Detection

Camera Setup

When considering camera positioning for Fall Detection, it is recommended to mount the camera so that it is positioned to survey the target area for no less than two (2) seconds (e.g., 10 frames) while monitoring.

It is recommended that when installing the camera at an elevated position, the vertical angle between the camera and the person be no greater than 30° degrees and the camera mounted between 3~8 ft. above the ground.

Consider that if the camera angle is too sharp or height is too high, the site may experience varying results.

NOTE: For more recommended tips on installing an analytic camera, check out DW MEGApix – Analytic Camera Installation Tips

Configure the Detection Area

You must configure a detection area for the system to recognize when someone has fallen through DW Spectrum.

Open the DW Spectrum Client and log into your Site.
Right-click on the camera in the Resource Tree and select “Camera Settings”.
Select the “Plugins” tab and configure the following:

IVA Ai Server Plugin: enable the plugin using the slider toggle
Camera Stream: set to “Secondary”
Tracking Engine: set to “DL People Tracker”

Select an available VA Area for the plugin and configure the following:

Click in the preview window and draw a detection area. Only falls that occur within the designated area will be recognized.
Event: set to “Fall”

In the Fall section, configure the following:

Duration: set how long someone must be on the floor before the fall is acknowledged.
Threshold: set the confidence level for the fall event (0% – 100%)

Click the “Apply” button to save the settings.

Create the Event Rule

In the DW Spectrum Client, open the Event Rules menu.
Click the “+ Add Rule” button and configure the following:

When: select “Analytics Event”
At: select the camera(s) that will be monitoring for people who are prone or in a fallen state
Event Type: select “Fall”
Do: select the resulting action that will occur when a fall is detected
To: if you have selected to show a notification, select the recipient of the alert.

Click the “Apply” button to save the settings.

Additional Notes

This completes the process of creating a Fall detection event rule in DW Spectrum Professional.

Be aware that results may vary, depending on the positioning of the camera and setting configurations for the rule. Some challenges may arise from ambient shadows that are improperly detected by the analytic engine, creating false-positive alerts. Be sure to set the Tracking Engine setting to “DL People Tracker” in the event rule’s settings

You can also potentially mitigate shadow issues by implementing an additional light/illuminator (DW SiteWatch White Light LED) to supplement the camera environment.

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Related to

DW Spectrum - Creating a Fall Detection Event Rule

Event Rule Setup: Fall Detection