Secluso is a private, open-source, DIY home security camera system built around the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, featuring true end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and on-device AI for human, pet, and vehicle detection. It was designed as an alternative to commercial smart home cameras that require sending raw video feeds to a proprietary cloud, a practice that often raises significant privacy concerns.Developed by Secluso, Inc., co-founded by UC Irvine professor Ardalan Amiri Sani and John Kaczman, the project utilizes Messaging Layer Security (MLS, RFC 9420) to ensure end-to-end encryption between the camera and the user’s smartphone. Because the system uses an untrusted relay (either self-hosted on a VPS or via Secluso’s free beta relay), the server routing the footage only sees encrypted files and cannot decrypt the video or thumbnails.Secluso hardware requirements:
SBC – Raspberry Pi Zero 2W
Camera – Raspberry Pi Camera Module V1 (OV5647) or V2 (IMX219)
Audio & Sensors – HAT with a microphone and safety temperature sensor (included in official kits)
Enclosure – Official Raspberry Pi Zero enclosure, 3D-printable custom housing, or Secluso’s IR-pass acrylic cover
