How can homeowners ensure their smart devices are truly secure in an era of increasing cyber threats? A Slovenian startup is betting on its AI-powered security system that combines facial recognition with paintball technology.
Based in the Slovenian town of Ankaran and with a team of security and software development experts, PaintCam recently achieved a significant milestone by successfully reaching its Kickstarter funding goal. The startup has since moved its campaign to Indiegogo to continue raising support.
In an interview with IT Logs, the CEO of PaintCam, Srečko Dumanić discusses how the startup is working to enhance home security and to address the common vulnerabilities in smart home systems.
IT Logs: What inspired the creation of PaintCam EVE, and how does it differ from traditional home security systems?
Srečko Dumanić: Picture this: You’re 6,000 kilometers away, heart pounding in your chest. Not because of jet lag, but because of a call back home. Your wife’s voice trembles as she tells you about a visitor they didn’t invite — an intruder in their own house. Thankfully, everyone’s safe, the police caught the guy. But the fear lingers. You replay the “what ifs” until the guilt of not being their claws at you.
That’s where this journey began, folks. Not in a boardroom, but in a moment of raw emotion. My 10-year-old and my wife were alone when they needed me most. It shook me. I had to do something. I had to create a layer of security, a shield that could stand guard even when I couldn’t.
I looked through every available solution — including a Robodog with addons — but everything was either too expensive, or too limited.
So, in the end, I came up with my own — Eve. A system to deter intruders by shooting them with a paintball, marking them like a stolen banknote for law enforcement to see, and scare them in the process.
Together with friends and my older son, we started the engineering process. We tested dozens of different cameras, markers and launchers, different designs and functionality. All the years working in digital security and forensics paid off in a functional high-quality product I could trust to protect my family and give me peace of mind.
How does the combination of facial recognition and a paintball marker improve security for homeowners?
We distinguish ourselves by being the only active home security system, allowing homeowners to avoid direct intervention. This is crucial because, in many cases, even when notified by security cameras, homeowners hesitate to take action due to moral concerns or fear of retaliation. PaintCam empowers you to entrust your security to an automated system, offering peace of mind and avoiding the burden of personal intervention.
The facial recognition feature is primarily designed for institutional settings, such as government facilities, factories and warehouses, rather than for home users. In these environments, security personnel can move freely around the perimeter without needing to disable EVE, allowing them to monitor the property without interruptions.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in developing this unique system, and how has the reception been so far from potential customers or early adopters?
The continuous refinement and optimization of the device, striving to make it more compact as our product development evolves. One of the significant challenges we faced was designing projectiles for EVE.
Traditional paintball projectiles proved unsuitable for harsh environments, such as extreme temperatures and prolonged exposure of EVE to the sun. To address this, we developed custom projectiles that are resilient and reliable, ensuring consistent performance in any conditions.
What stage are you currently in the fundraising journey, and what are your immediate goals for the campaign?
We successfully reached our Kickstarter goal and have now moved to Indiegogo for continued support. The product is currently in the testing phase, and we plan to deliver the first EVE units to our Kickstarter backers in February/March 2025. All the funds are going strictly into the development of the PaintCam EVE security camera.
With the rise of smart home devices, how do you see cybersecurity threats evolving for homeowners and what are some of the biggest cybersecurity challenges in the IoT industry, especially for homeowners using such devices and how do you see the industry developing in the near future?
One major issue is the lack of standardization across different devices, which leads to inconsistent security practices and vulnerabilities. To address this, PaintCam ensures compatibility with the latest IoT standards, including Matter, ZosiSmart, and Tuya, to maintain robust security.
Another challenge is the weak security of many devices, which often have minimal protection and lack automatic updates, making them easy targets for hackers. To counteract this, PaintCam offers a subscription service that includes secure cloud storage and frequent updates to keep the system protected against emerging threats.
Additionally, the collection of vast amounts of personal data by IoT devices poses privacy risks, as users are often unaware of how their data is managed. PaintCam addresses this concern by ensuring that all data stored is accessible only to the device owners, with no access granted to PaintCam itself, thereby safeguarding user privacy.