Verkada Launches AI Fence-Climbing Detection and Solar-Powered Trailer

Verkada announced AI-powered activity detection for perimeter security at its VerkadaOne conference in September 2025, beginning with the ability to detect individuals climbing over fences, gates, or walls — a core PIDS use case delivered through a cloud-managed camera platform.

The feature is available on select Verkada cameras (CD63/E, CP63-E, CF83-E panoramic) and uses on-device AI inference to classify climbing events in real time. Alerts feed into Verkada's cloud-based Command platform for centralised monitoring and response.

Alongside the AI feature, Verkada introduced two hardware products targeting perimeter deployments at sites without existing infrastructure: the CR63-E Remote Camera with built-in LTE connectivity and the MT81 Cloud-Managed Security Trailer, a solar-powered mobile platform supporting up to six devices. Both address a persistent barrier to perimeter detection at remote sites — the cost of trenching power and network connections to the fence line.

Verkada's entry into perimeter-specific detection is notable because it arrives from the cloud-managed security platform space rather than the traditional PIDS vendor ecosystem. The company's approach — AI analytics delivered as a software feature on general-purpose cameras, managed through a SaaS platform — represents a different commercial model than the dedicated sensor systems offered by companies like SightLogix, Southwest Microwave, or Senstar.

Whether cloud-managed camera analytics can match the detection performance of purpose-built perimeter sensors in demanding environments (high wind, extreme temperatures, extended detection ranges) remains to be proven at scale.