ANPR Cameras Introduction
If you have a recent car with an ARV in your name, you’ve probably thought about license plate recognition (or at least have heard people talk about it). But what is it like to actually use ANPR and how can you make it work for you? Here are some insights from our engineering writer on why we think your business would benefit from this technology and where it could be used.
Surprising Things About The History Of ANPR
Although plate-reading technology has been around for decades, its use has only become more prevalent as technology continues to advance and industries expand. As vehicle traffic increases, the need for high-quality measurement systems has increased as well.
The first system was offered by Siemens AG, in which they scanned plates to read their metadata and returned data by means of a serial port that then was sent over the internet. Although not widely adopted, it was followed shortly after by similar technologies, such as VLSI, AT&T IBM, and others.
Another early example was the Lidar, which was launched in 2003 by Velodyne Scientific Corporation. This type of sensor uses low-energy infrared light and produces “a three dimensional representation of objects” as well as other information. It also worked in combination with radar systems using electromagnetic induction and reflected magnetic field information. These two technologies were called 2 in 1. Soon after, another system based on optical imaging sensors was released, known as i-Sens Inc., which was introduced in 2005 by Strobe International. Today such sensors are most commonly found in self-driving cars and public transportation vehicles, so anyone will know almost all the basic information to do with driving an automobile today.
Today, there are many additional camera technologies that can be incorporated into road safety applications, but the main features they offer include:
The ability to read license plates manually,
Automatically counting the number plates of all the passengers in the vehicle,
Reading lane markings of certain types of vehicles, and
Reading speed limitations and road signs.
But before getting to details of them, let’s review some history as to why this technology is becoming common place in various sectors.
Why Do We Need An Integrated Camera System To Watch A Road Ahead?
With the development of modern computer hardware and software, companies have begun to produce products that will do just that. Two examples on the market are NVIDIA Jetson Nano and Apple Pay. All these devices can be used for surveillance purposes because they contain cameras built in which capture any moving object on the road. Then those captured images can be processed to identify things like pedestrians crossing the street and stoplights, among others. In case you are thinking about creating a product of your own, now is the time to get started!
For motorists who don’t want to rely on traditional methods for reading license plates to identify themselves, automatic license plate readers can be seen as valuable additions for them. For instance, if someone gets pulled over by the police, their vehicle will most likely have an appropriate sticker reading something like THIS IS MY CAR. With an ARV, drivers who know exactly where they are going will still be able to find their way home for safety reasons, even when the roads are congested.
What Makes Automatic License Plate Scanning More Valuable Than Manual Readings?
When examining the benefits of automated license plate reading, the major reason is that there is no human error involved. Automation means no accidents due to mistaken identifications, misunderstandings, fatigue, or lack of concentration. Also, automation means that the risk of theft and damage to the vehicle is lowered to zero since there is no point at which data can be stolen or tampered with while being stored. Moreover, automatic processing eliminates manual errors, meaning fewer mistakes when collecting and interpreting the results can be done. Additionally, the issue of losing privacy is mitigated due to the fact that the scanner doesn’t require access to the data. There is little chance of having records leaked or erased from a laptop when scanning plates manually. Even though the system itself is highly efficient and convenient, one might question whether anyone considers using one or the other method.
Nowadays, automatic scanners are usually available at much lower cost than manually produced ones. However, the best part is that purchasing such equipment won't be too expensive to start with. One should keep in mind that even if a person is unable to invest in sophisticated and extensive machines for reading license plates, he or she will certainly benefit from hiring professionals to help with maintenance and repairs at times when the vehicle will be out of service, if necessary.
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