What is ANPR? Types, Benefits & Applications

With the increased number of vehicles on the road, traffic violations have also risen, and it has become humanly challenging to manage all road misconduct. So, we need advanced technologies to address road safety and parking issues better. Several AI-driven technologies are being used around the world, and one such technology is ANPR. In recent years, ANPR system has made a renowned image worldwide because of its benefits with different applications.

ANPR technology is being integrated with various systems, including cameras, access control, and parking management tools, which is a game changer for the parking business. It can help detect motorists causing nuisances on the road or parking areas, ultimately improving that place’s security. There are plenty of unregistered vehicles or drivers on the roads that might sometimes get unnoticed by the police, but it is easy to recognise them with ANPR cameras. 

In this blog, we will learn more about the ANPR system, its types, benefits and how you can get the ANPR parking management system installed.

What is ANPR?

ANPR stands for Automatic Number Plate Recognition. ANPR technology is the best tool for road safety as it helps to support law enforcement while also ensuring the safety and security of road users worldwide. It is used to read the vehicle’s registered number, which is beneficial for detecting & preventing parking misconduct.

ANPR parking management system plays an essential role in the parking business as it captures the real-time movement of vehicles to detect the car causing a nuisance. With this technology, it has become easy for parking lot owners to efficiently manage the space as they can easily integrate their CCTV and barrier system with it, increasing security against violators.

Types of ANPR Systems

An automatic license plate recognition system is employed for multiple purposes, such as car park management, traffic management, road safety, tolling, retail park security, etc. The majority of the public is aware of ANPR and how various police departments use it to identify speeding cases and criminal activities. Authorities also use it to improve the security and safety of the general public.

ANPR technology can be integrated with a variety of applications, and there are two ways to implement ANPR technology: 

• Fixed ANPR system

Fixed ANPR systems can be installed at various locations or sites, like entrance or exit gates of car parks and on roads, to monitor the vehicles going back and forth.

• Mobile ANPR system

These are installed on vehicles and are carried along to scan the license plates of vehicles. It is mainly used by local authorities to search for wanted vehicles.

These are majorly used by police officers to track down unregistered or unauthorised vehicles.

Both systems are connected to system software, the central repository of all data, and tools useful for data analysis, queries, and reporting.

Different Types of Techniques used in ANPR 

ANPR technology is one of the most precise and widely used AI-driven systems, which is continuously changing. These applicable techniques continually evolve to improve automatic number plate recognition software’s performance, accuracy, cost-efficiency, resilience, and scalability. 

ANPR technology is used for various applications, including the following:

• Object Detection 

Object detection is used to identify automobiles, like cars, buses, motorcycles, etc., in photos and video streams. Object detection algorithms like YOLOv3 use deep learning of neural networks (networks of multiple input and output layers) that have been perfected by utilising a collection of photos.

• Image Processing 

ANPR applications are typically used in complex real-world environments with varying illumination, occlusion, weather, and inconsistent set-ups. Image processing functions are used to sharpen, colour-correct, or crop images to significantly improve the output of subsequent algorithms. One of the most popular libraries for image-processing jobs in ANPR systems is OpenCV.

• Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR is one of the pioneers in the research field of artificial intelligence and also has significance in the research area of pattern recognition and computer vision. It is used to extract text from images. Thus, ANPR can read the licence plate of vehicles with accuracy and use image processing methods like MaskOCR algorithms for the transformation of number plate images to text.

• Template Matching 

The template matching technique compares a licence plate image to a library of licence plate images. It identifies a particular pattern in a text string, which in the case of ANPR, is a set of characters written on the licence plates of the vehicles.

What are the benefits of installing ANPR in a Car Park?

ANPR system has been getting worldwide recognition because it offers a wide range of benefits in various fields, some of which are mentioned below:

• Accuracy- Compared to humans, the ANPR system can quickly and accurately identify the vehicle from its licence plate number.
• Analytics- The data obtained can be efficiently analysed and used for better traffic flow, parking management, and reduced traffic congestion.
• Automation- As ANPR is an automated technology, it can automatically generate alert notifications in case of any misconduct or violation.
• Convenience- ANPR is the way to avail of hassle-free services as it is fully automated and requires no human interference. Services like a camera system, barrier system, and parking payment terminals integrated with ANPR can be operated efficiently by the authorised individual or automatically.
• Cost-Efficiency- Technology has replaced human resources as it is faster and error-free. With the ANPR system, you don’t need to hire much workforce and can get a more accurate result with fewer expenses.
• Environmental Benefits- ANPR system can give an impressive result with traffic congestion and parking problems by finding decent empty parking spots for motorists. This can reduce the waiting period and travel time, resulting in less fuel consumption and a low carbon footprint.
• Identification- With the help of stored data, ANPR technology can quickly identify the vehicle’s details and track them.
• Security- ANPR systems are used by local authorities or retail & car park owners for security purposes. It identifies the registered vehicle number from the licence plate and tracks down the violator, making it easier for the authorities to take necessary actions.
• Versatility- ANPR technology can be integrated with many applications and systems like CCTV cameras, barrier systems, and payment machines, making it versatile.

✔️  Also Read: Get a secure car park with our ANPR camera installation service

Lastly 

With the ANPR system, parking management has also taken a significant turn in terms of accuracy, promptness, and security. Several parking management companies and authorities use ANPR technology.

Euro Parking Services is a leading parking management and enforcement company that provides services such as the ANPR parking management system and ANPR integrated cameras & barrier system in Birmingham, London and other cities in the UK.

To know more about our services, fill up the contact form and get in touch with us.