JanusEye, Guardian of your door

JanusEye

Gatekeeper of your home, nothing passes unseen

In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings, endings, choices, and passageways. Depicted with two faces—one looking toward the future and the other toward the past—he watches over all entries and exits.

The JanusEye project is inspired by this duality: constant entrance surveillance (the gatekeeper) combined with intelligence capable of distinguishing legitimate residents from intruders. Like the Roman god, the system watches over your home without ever sleeping.

 

Project Overview

 

JanusEye is a home video surveillance solution designed to be autonomous, privacy-friendly, and fully automated.

Unlike traditional alarms, it recognizes the presence of your smartphone (iPhone or Android) to intelligently arm and disarm itself: no more codes to type when you get home.

  • • Silent Alert: Immediate notification via SMS, NTFY push notifications with photos, and Email with photos in case of suspicious movement.
  • • Zero Cloud: Your photos stay with you, on your Raspberry Pi.
  • • Mobile Interface: An intuitive management console accessible from any web browser.
  • • Enhanced Security: Protection against intrusion attempts (IP blocking) and a detailed activity log.
    JanusEye logo
    JanusEye

 

Hardware Requirements

To set up your JanusEye station, you will need:

  • Main Unit: Raspberry Pi (Model 3B, 4, or 5 recommended).
  • Camera: Official Raspberry Camera Module (CSI) or standard USB Webcam.
  • Storage: MicroSD Card (16 GB minimum).
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
The Raspberry PI, the heart of JanusEye
The Raspberry PI, the heart of JanusEye

Implementation (Installation)

System Security Installation is performed on a clean Linux base to ensure the integrity of your surveillance data.
  1. Preparation: Installing Raspberry Pi OS Lite.
  2. Deployment: Cloning the repository and configuring the januseye.conf file.
  3. Automation: Declaring the IP addresses of smartphones for presence detection.
  4. Launch: Activating the system service for automatic startup.
⚖️ Legal Disclaimer and Proper Use

The use of a video surveillance system is subject to a strict regulatory framework (GDPR and national security laws):

  • Private Use: The camera must be installed exclusively for monitoring your private property (interior, garden, garage).
  • Public Space: It is strictly forbidden to film public roads (streets, sidewalks) or neighboring properties.
  • Image Rights: If you employ home staff or receive guests, you must inform them of the system's presence.
  • Data Retention: Images should not be kept for more than 30 days, except in the case of legal proceedings.
⚖️ Automatic Legal Compliance

To ensure your peace of mind, JanusEye intentionally limits image retention. In the settings tab, you will not be able to select a duration longer than 30 days. This technical limit ensures you are natively compliant with regulations (GDPR and domestic security codes).

Note: This project is provided for educational purposes. The author declines any responsibility in case of use not complying with current legislation.