Ubiquiti is expanding its edge-processing hardware lineup with the AI Dome (UVC-AI-Dome-B). The standard G-series cameras cover most general UniFi Protect deployments just fine. Still, the AI Dome targets environments that need local metadata processing without sacrificing image quality or build quality. Most notably, it handles face and license plate recognition on-device, bringing Pro-tier capabilities to a more accessible price point. Sitting between the G6 Dome and the G6 Pro, it combines 4K imaging with dedicated silicon for real-time analytics. Ubiquiti has built it to handle entry points and high-traffic areas where accurate identification matters as much as general surveillance coverage. Whether you’re covering a parking lot entrance, a corporate lobby, or a retail storefront, the AI Dome is designed with that specific kind of deployment in mind.
Dome Lineup
At $399, the AI Dome sits in a deliberate spot between the G6 Dome and the G6 Pro. It’s aimed at users who need the advanced analytics of the Pro line but don’t want the larger footprint, optical zoom, or the elevated power requirements that come with it. Compared to the G6 Pro at its higher price point, the AI Dome trades optical zoom for on-device AI processing at a significantly lower cost. For fixed-focal-length deployments where edge AI is the priority, the price-to-feature ratio is hard to argue with.
| Specification | AI Dome | G5 Dome | G6 Dome | G6 Pro Dome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||||
| Dimensions | ⌀118 x 90.8 mm (⌀4.6 x 5.5″) | ⌀109.2 x 64.5 mm (⌀4.3 x 2.5″) | ⌀144.7x 96.3 mm (⌀5.7 x 3.8″) | ⌀163.8 × 108.8 mm (⌀6.45 × 4.28″) |
| IR Night Vision | 40 m (131 ft) | 9 m (30 ft) | 30 m (98 ft) | 40 m (131 ft) |
| Zoom Mode | — | — | — | 2.36x Optical |
| Face Recognition | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| License Plate Recognition | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart Detections | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Resolution | 4K | 2K | 4K | 4K |
| Field of View | H: 109.9°, V: 56.7°, D: 134.1° | H: 102.4°, V: 54.9°, D: 120.6° | H: 109.9°, V: 56.7°, D: 134.1° | Wide: H: 113.8°, V: 61.9°, D: 134° Tele: H: 45.5°, V: 25.8°, D: 52° |
| Audio | Microphone | Two-way audio | Microphone | Microphone |
| Weatherproofing | IP66 | IPX4 (While Covered) | IP66 | IP66 |
| Tamper Resistance | IK10 | IK08 | IK10 | IK10 |
| Mounting | Arm, ceiling, pendant, wall mount, junction box | Wall, ceiling mount (Included) Junction box, arm mount (Optional) |
Ceiling, Wall mount (Included) Gang Box Mounting Plate, Camera Dual Mount, Flush Mount, Weather Shield (Optional) |
Ceiling, Wall mount (Included) Gang Box Mounting Plate, Camera Dual Mount, Flush Mount, Weather Shield (Optional) |
| UniFi Application Suite | ||||
| Protect | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Performance | ||||
| Networking Interface | GbE RJ45 port | 10/100 MbE RJ45 port | 10/100 MbE RJ45 port | GbE RJ45 port |
| Video | ||||
| Image Settings | Color, brightness, sharpness, contrast, white balance, exposure control, 2DNR, 3DNR, NR by motion, masking, text overlay, HDR | Color, brightness, sharpness, contrast, white balance, exposure control, 2DNR, 3DNR, NR by motion, masking, text overlay | Color, brightness, sharpness, contrast, white balance, exposure control, 2DNR, 3DNR, NR by motion, masking, text overlay, HDR | Color, brightness, sharpness, contrast, white balance, exposure control, 2DNR, 3DNR, NR by motion, masking, text overlay, HDR |
| Max. Frame Rate | 30 FPS | 30 FPS | 30 FPS | 30 FPS |
| Resolution | 8MP 3840 x 2160 (16:9) | 4MP 2688 x 1512 (16:9) | 8MP 3840 x 2160 (16:9) | 8MP 3840 x 2160 (16:9) |
| Optics | ||||
| Sensor | 1/1.8″ 8MP | 5MP CMOS | 1/1.8″ 8MP | 1/1.2″ 8MP |
| Lens | Fixed focal length | Fixed focal length | Fixed focal length | F 5.9-13.8 mm; ƒ/1.5-ƒ/2.9 |
| Night Mode | Built-in IR LED illumination and IR cut filter | Built-in IR LED illumination and IR cut filter | Built-in IR LED illumination and IR cut filter | Built-in adaptive IR LED illumination and IR cut filter |
| Hardware | ||||
| Max. Power Consumption | 10W | 5W | 9.25W | 15W |
| Supported Voltage Range | 42.5 – 57V DC | 37 – 57V DC | 37 – 57V DC | 42.5 – 57V DC |
| Power Method | PoE | PoE | PoE | PoE+ |
| Processor | Quad-core Arm® Cortex®-A53 based chip | Dual-core Arm® Cortex®-A7 based chip | Quad-core Arm® Cortex®-A53 based chip | Quad core Arm® Cortex®-A53 based chip |
| Weight | 700 g (1.5 lb) | Without mount: 370 g (13.1 oz) With mount: 390 g (13.8 oz) |
820 g (1.8 lb) | 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) |
| Enclosure Material | Aluminum alloy, polycarbonate | Aluminum alloy, polycarbonate, hard-coated dome | Aluminum alloy | Aluminum alloy, polycarbonate |
| Mount Material | Surface mount: polycarbonate | Polycarbonate, stainless steel | Polycarbonate | Stainless steel |
| Expansion Slot | MicroSD Card | — | — | MicroSD card |
| Ambient Operating Temperature | -30 to 50° C (-22 to 122° F) | -20 to 40° C (-4 to 104° F) | -20 to 50º C (-4 to 122º F) | -20 to 50º C (-4 to 122º F) |
| Ambient Operating Humidity | 0 to 90% noncondensing | 0 to 90% noncondensing | 0 to 90% noncondensing | 0 to 90% noncondensing |
| NDAA Compliant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Certifications | CE, FCC, IC | CE, FCC, IC | CE, FCC, IC | CE, FCC, IC |
Design and Build
The AI Dome is built from aluminum alloy and polycarbonate; it feels solid and well-constructed. At ⌀118 x 90.8 mm and 700 g (1.5 lb), it’s noticeably more compact and lighter than the G6 Pro, making installation easier in tighter spaces where you don’t have much room to work. That said, it still has a reassuring heft that feels consistent with the build quality you’d expect at this price.
The black colorway (UVC-AI-Dome-B) is a welcome option for commercial environments with dark ceilings, exterior eaves, or modern interior fitouts where white hardware would stand out too much. It blends cleanly into the architecture, and that’s an easy factor to underestimate in retail and hospitality settings. Beyond aesthetics, the surface-mount unit that ships in the box is made of polycarbonate and performs well in standard installation scenarios. For cleaner ceiling installations, the optional Flush Mount ($39.00) lets you recess the housing directly into the ceiling tile, significantly lowering the camera’s profile and giving it a more integrated look.
On the durability side, the IP66 weatherproofing and IK10 tamper-resistance ratings mean the AI Dome handles fully exposed installations without issue. That’s a step up from the G5 Dome, which only carries an IPX4 rating and needs a cover to stay weather-protected. In contrast, the AI Dome can enter low-clearance, publicly accessible areas and hold up well against both the elements and physical interference. The operating temperature range of -30 to 50 degrees C (-22 to 122 F) is the widest in the dome lineup, so it works in climates where the rest of the G-series would hit its limits. For outdoor deployments in cold regions in particular, that extra headroom is worth noting.
Optics & AI
The AI Dome uses a 1/1.8″ 8MP sensor and shoots 3840 x 2160 at 30 FPS with HDR support. While it doesn’t carry the larger 1/1.2″ sensor found in the G6 Pro, it still matches the G6 Pro’s 40-meter (131 ft) IR night vision range, which is a strong result at this price point. For context, the G6 Dome only reaches 30 meters, and the G5 Dome tops out at just 9 meters, so the AI Dome sits clearly at the top of the lineup when it comes to night imaging distance. For a fixed dome without optical zoom, IR reach is useful in larger open spaces.
Beyond raw resolution, the fixed-focal-length lens covers 109.9 degrees horizontally and 134.1 degrees diagonally, matching the G6 Dome’s field of view exactly. Importantly, it handles that wide angle without the barrel distortion you’d normally expect from a lens at this width. That matters because when you’re relying on footage for face or plate identification, image geometry directly affects how well recognition algorithms perform. The HDR support further helps in high-contrast environments, such as covered parking entrances or lobby doorways, where bright outdoor light meets a darker interior.
The biggest differentiator, though, is on-device processing. The quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 handles Face Recognition and License Plate Recognition directly at the camera, rather than pushing that work to the NVR or Dream Machine. In practice, this means faster detection alerts, lower CPU load on the recorder, and lower sustained bandwidth usage across the deployment. This is especially noticeable in larger multi-camera setups where the NVR’s processing headroom can become a real constraint. Beyond performance, it also opens up more useful automation options. For example, you can set up “unrecognized face” alerts to fire only after hours, or LPR notifications to trigger only for plates not on an approved list. That kind of context-aware control is ultimately where the AI Dome earns its place in the lineup over a standard 4K dome.
Management and Installation
Getting the AI Dome up and running is straightforward. It runs on standard PoE, not PoE+, and pulls a maximum of 10W under full load, so it’s easy to budget on most enterprise switches without needing to plan around higher-draw ports. The included 30 cm (1 ft) cable features an RJ45 connector and a thermoplastic elastomer jacket, with the jacket enclosure providing a clean, weatherproof termination at the camera body. Once you plug it in, Protect picks it up immediately and steps you through configuration. The GbE port is also a meaningful upgrade over the 10/100 MbE found on the G5 and G6 Dome, giving the camera enough headroom to handle 4K throughput and AI processing simultaneously while ensuring the AI Dome won’t become a bottleneck in network infrastructure where faster switching is already in place.
A few additional management features are worth calling out. The MicroSD slot enables local on-device recording as a storage failover. If the switch drops or the NVR connection goes down, the camera keeps recording and holds onto the footage until the connection comes back. That’s a useful safety net for critical locations, and it’s something neither the G5 Dome nor the G6 Dome can offer since neither includes an expansion slot. Detection zones can also be drawn separately for motion and smart detection, which helps reduce false positives from foot traffic, passing cars, or other movement outside the area you care about. In busy environments, this kind of tuning makes a significant difference in the day-to-day usefulness of the alert system. On the mounting side, the box includes a standard surface mount for ceiling and wall scenarios, with optional accessories including a Flush Mount ($39.00) for a recessed ceiling profile, Weather Shield ($29.00), Dual Mount ($59.00), Ethernet Surge Protection ($12.50), and High Capacity microSD Cards starting at $49.00 for those who need extra resilience or local storage in the field.
Conclusion
The AI Dome fills a gap in the UniFi camera lineup. It brings face recognition, license plate recognition, and full smart detection down to a more accessible price point without cutting corners on build quality or imaging performance. At $399, it’s a practical choice for anyone who needs AI-driven alerts but doesn’t need optical zoom and doesn’t want to pay the G6 Pro premium or deal with its higher power requirements. Notably, the combination of a GbE port, MicroSD failover, and on-device AI processing at 10W is competitive for what this class of camera costs elsewhere.
Overall, it works well for retail entrances, parking lots, corporate lobbies, or anywhere identification accuracy matters as much as general coverage. The wide temperature range, IP66/IK10 ratings, and MicroSD failover recording also make it a credible option for real-world deployments, not just clean indoor installs. On top of that, the black colorway gives it the versatility that standard white dome cameras lack in environments where blending in matters.
If you need optical zoom or native UniFi Protect support, the G6 Pro is still the right pick. However, if a fixed focal length covers your use case and you want on-device AI without the bulk and cost of the Pro tier, the AI Dome is a well-rounded, practical solution that’s hard to overlook at this price point.
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