License plate recognition: TOP-4 best services

According to the latest report from IHS Markit, Moscow-based research company, global revenues from sales of smart technologies for license plate recognition will increase to $800 million by 2022. On average, this indicator will grow by 16.5% per year. Thanks to the expansion of video analytics capabilities, these devices will be combined with the concept of a “safe smart city” in the near future. In Russia, license plate recognition systems are being introduced gradually, but we see how the circulation of technologies increases every year.

Why do you need license plate recognition?

To create a license plate recognition system, you will need high-quality video equipment and software with the necessary filming and analytics settings. Such programs are used to solve many problems where you need to film cars:

• vehicle traffic control. The option is suitable for companies whose territory is constantly visited by vehicles;
• control of parking spaces. Cameras will help ensure the safety of cars, and control payments for parking spaces;
• entry control. Using the equipment, you can restrict the passage of unauthorized people to the protected and/or private area;
• fixing the time spent by a vehicle on the territory. Also relevant for parking lots with hourly payments;
• registration and maintaining lists of vehicles that entered the premises;
• access control. Video analytics creates white and black lists of visitors. If an unwanted guest drives up to the territory, the barrier will not open;
• prevention and timely punishment for traffic violations. This license plate recognition program has been operating in Russia for a long time and is known to everyone – these are traffic cameras familiar to everyone.

Also, many software developers take into account the variety of license plates in the country, including foreign formats. Therefore, some systems are able to determine from which country the vehicle came and make the appropriate notes in the recordings.

 Legislation of the Russian Federation

In Russia, there is no single legislative act adopted in relation to video surveillance. The fundamental point is the scope of the surveillance systems. In particular, I will tell you about the basic rules for installing cameras for license plate recognition:

• collection and compilation of licence plate lists – they are not personal data (since the information cannot be used to identify the driver, and it is not made publicly available);
• if the image of an individual was obtained when filming in public places (parking lots, roads, private company territory, etc.), then a written consent to the collection of personal data is not required;
• surveillance and license plate recognition systems should not be hidden, and warning posters should be present on the territory where the cameras are installed;
• filming should not be directed at just one person or a group of people. Otherwise, the owner of the video surveillance will violate the constitutional rights of an individual to personal privacy.

TOP-4 best services and software for licence plate identification

Programs for identifying the license plate of a car should perform the following functions:

• interaction with the installed and collected database of plates, as well as entering new information into the storage;
• search for a specific car based on the database (for example, to let a visitor from the white list in);
• recognition of license plates in motion and without movement.

In 2020, the software market for the above functions has expanded. We will give an example of the 4 best services:

1. Faceter.

The intelligent capabilities of the program allow you to install the system in yards and parking lots to maintain order, safety and resolve disputes.

Thanks to cloud storage, you only need a few IP cameras and a regular phone/tablet as a monitor. You can read more about the procedure of connecting the system in our articles: “4 steps of connecting a CCTV camera to your phone” and “Turning an old smartphone into a surveillance camera“.

The price for using the Faceter cloud service: Internet + the selected tariff plan (from 290 rubles per month).

2. HikVision.

Security system from a large global company. The license plate recognition function is supported by all cameras of the fourth series of HikVision. The owner uses the camera through a browser.

The peculiarity of the system is that the data on the passage of cars is not saved in the database. It operates in real time.

3. Axis.

The developers were able to create an application that is installed on an IP video camera. That is, the entire license plate recognition system interacts with the device directly.

4. NumberOk.

The hardware and software complex is designed specifically for the identification of vehicle plates. The program recognizes up to 98% of license plates.

The price for HikVision, Axis and NumberOk systems consists of many factors: the price of cameras, software, additional equipment, etc. Therefore, it is problematic to name a specific cost of those services.

Conclusion

A license plate recognition system can be used for automatic control and security at various facilities. By using the Faceter service, you will get a high quality service at an affordable price and a lightweight, self-configurable, self-updating video surveillance system.