this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2026
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Does anyone know more about these devices? Some are obviously cameras, but the others are likely some radio scanning, potentially BLE, but I don't know. Anyone know?

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[–] 0485919158191@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I work for a company that makes security cameras and we also make radars as a supplement to the cameras. The purpose of the radar is to tell PTZ cameras where objects are so they can pan/rotate to the correct spot as quickly as possible.

In this case these look like fixed cameras so I don’t think it’s a radar.

I would assume, considering the climate these cameras are in that this is some kind of weather sensor.

Considering the size of it, it probably has a few features to it.

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Doesn’t look like any weather sensor is there to me.

[–] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Surface Temperature sensors (infrared) look like cameras or like a brick with a hole in it as well and are used for efficient winter maintenance

My country have them as well (it is a kit from a local provider). But of course my country sneeky deployed a Chinese smart cloud cam on top as well (a Hikvision Cam).

You even see the hikvison cam on the Website of decentlab, but when you click on the kit, you see, that the cam is not part of it.

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Perhaps it’s a bit pedantic, but I’d consider that a road sensor not a weather sensor. Road condition and a webcam is related to weather but not one of the primary instruments like a barometer, anemometer, thermometer, rain gauge, etc.

I see what you’re saying though, it could be one of those road sensors.

[–] davad@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The large flat one looks like radar to me. I hadn't heard of radar being used with PTZ cameras. But you can also use it standalone to measure traffic flow.

If it isn't radar, it's something with a large, flat antenna (probably a phased array). The other two options I can think of are a long-range RFID scanner or a point-to-point network connection.

[–] 0485919158191@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah it’s quite hard to tell. The shape is kinda generic so anything could be behind all that plastic!

[–] davad@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Because of how wide and thin it is, it looks like a phased antenna array to me. It's a way to create cheaper, performant antennas. You see this form factor with a bunch of RF applications in UHF to EHF range.

Here's an example of a random mmWave radar board. Imagine a plastic case over this to keep out dust and rain.

15042

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/60Ghz-long-distance-Millimeter-wave-radar_1601046927371.html