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A new security camera from Baseus has a clever idea: instead of passively observing passersby, it tries to actively deter would-be thieves by shining a spotlight on them as they move. Called the PrimeSentinel U2 Pro, it’s available to preorder for $280 on Amazon and begins shipping in early November.

The U2 Pro features two separate cameras. One is a fixed, 3K-resolution camera with 8x digital zoom, while the other is located on the bottom of the device with the spotlight and mechanically pans and tilts. Unlike the usual floodlight approach, which fills an entire area with light, the U2 Pro’s spotlight casts a sharply-defined rectangle on people when it detects them, then tracks them, using two passive infrared (PIR) sensors and AI recognition.

The spotlight can track people from between three meters to eight meters away, moving at up to about six feet per second, or roughly a light jogging pace, according to Baseus’ specs. If they’re sprinting at 16 feet per second, Baseus says the U2 Pro can follow them from between five and eight meters away. And at eight meters, it can even track a vehicle driving close to 19 mph. It’s a very unique feature that I haven’t seen elsewhere in the smart home camera world. It’s more than a little unnerving, but the creep factor is the point, of course, as it could deter people more than generally lighting an area might.

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