Imagine a car park where you don’t have to wait in long queues for parking tickets. How convenient would that be? It would feel like a breath of fresh air, right? Thanks to Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, this has now turned into a reality.
In this fast-paced world, car parks face numerous challenges, including operational efficiency, managing traffic flow inside and around the premises, ensuring effective parking operations, managing occupancy, and handling demands during peak hours. ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) has emerged as a solution that addresses all these problems and has proven to be revolutionary in managing parking spaces. The cameras are used globally, and their demand is growing daily as they significantly improve security and enhance the overall experience of car parks.
Let’s dive deeper into these cameras’ details so we can utilise their potential.
What are ANPR Cameras?
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are specialised security cameras that automatically capture the alphanumeric characters from the vehicle’s registration plate. These cameras utilise Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to read the alphanumeric characters. Once the characters are extracted, ANPR compares this information with the database, which includes records of registered vehicles, stolen vehicle reports, histories of traffic misconduct, and insurance statuses. These features allow the camera to enhance security and streamline the tracking of the vehicle.
Key components of the ANPR system:
- Cameras: High-definition cameras, infrared, capture the alphanumeric characters from number plates.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software: This is the core of ANPR cameras, as it allows them to extract the alphanumeric characters from vehicles’ licence plates.
- Database: The system integrates with databases that contain vehicle information, enabling real-time checks and alerts. These databases contain information such as the details of the vehicle’s owner, the authorisation status, and records indicating if the vehicle has been stolen.
- Communication Interface: This allows the system to seamlessly transfer data, connect with external systems, and monitor parking space remotely, improving the security of the parking.
- Application software: This allows the system to manage data analytics, which then helps parking operators to make well-informed decisions. The real-time insight into the parking occupancy allows the parking operators to predict and optimise the pricing of the parking spaces.
Common Applications of ANPR in Car Parks
ANPR technology is versatile and can be applied in various car park settings:
- Commercial vs. Residential Car Parks: In commercial parking spaces, ANPR cameras can be effective and beneficial in managing customer parking, preventing parking abuse, and validating parking tickets. Whereas in residential parking spaces, these cameras ensure that only residents and guests who are authorised are allowed to park on the premises.
Note: The ANPR cameras compare the licence plate numbers with the database of guests and residents that are registered. - Event Venues and Shopping Centres: The cameras can help enhance parking operations as they can streamline entry and exits which improves the traffic flow in and around the parking spaces.
- Parking Facilities: The use of ANPR is very common nowadays in managing parking spaces as it helps in enforcing parking terms and conditions, generating revenue from parking, and manage parking permits.
How ANPR technology works in car parks:
- Enforcement: Installing these cameras makes enforcement easy, as they automatically calculate vehicles’ entry/exit time. If vehicles have not paid for their parking or have overstayed their parking duration, action is taken against them. This enhances the security of the car parks and makes parking spaces more secure.
- Traffic management in Parking Spaces: By streamlining the entry and exit process, ANPR cameras reduce the congestion in and around the parking spaces which enhances the motorist experience and makes parking operations more effective.
- Reduced Operational Costs: Since ANPR automates the entry and exit process and checks the time of the parking duration of a vehicle, it eliminates the need for an extra staff member and significantly reduces operational costs.
Some stats related to ANPR and Car Parks:
Some reports from credible sources suggest how important and influential ANPR has been in the parking industry. Here are some of them:
- According to a report from the British Parking Service, motorists are more satisfied when they enter a car park where ANPR is installed and no barriers are involved.
- The reports from POLICE.UK suggests that the ANPR cameras submit on average around 60 million ANPR ‘read’ records to national ANPR systems on a daily basis.
Case Study: How ANPR Transformed One of Our Sites
One of our clients at ‘Ashford’ was facing challenges with unrelated motorists misusing their dedicated car parks and breaching parking terms and conditions. This was causing inconvenience for staff and visitors. It is quite obvious that if unauthorised vehicles take the parking spot, it will impact the experience of the public and ultimately, it will impact the businesses negatively.
After installing our cutting-edge ANPR cameras, they observed a drastic change as it helped them monitor the parking space automatically. The quick and easy registration for the staff members allowed them to access the car park without any hassle.
The results were very encouraging, with a significant reduction in unauthorised parking. This transformation not only improved the experience for staff and visitors but also ensured that the unauthorised parking was no longer affecting their business.
Future Trends in ANPR Technology:
ANPR cameras are already very advanced, but as the technology grows the future of these cameras looks quite promising and there are some exciting developments on the horizon. Here are some exciting developments coming soon that will transform the ANPR cameras:
- Integrating AI and machine learning: While they are already accurate, the integration with AI and machine learning algorithms can further improve the accuracy and efficiency of ANPR cameras. This will also enhance their ability of image recognition, enabling them to predict the trends and contribute to a smarter city infrastructure.
- Advancements in camera technology: To enhance the capabilities of ANPR, things like higher resolution sensors, dynamic wider range, and improved low-light will significantly upgrade these cameras.
- The role of ANPR in smart city infrastructures: In the future, ANPR is going to play a crucial role in smart city infrastructure as it will provide real-time data on the availability of parking and movement of vehicles which will contribute towards a more efficient and resilient environment.
Managing a car park was a really difficult task until ANPR came into the picture. Since then, it has completely revolutionised the way car park management works by enhancing security and reducing operational costs. Wewatch knows the potential ANPR has and how it can help you enhance your car park. If you understand how ANPR works in different sectors, it can help you to make decisions on how to utilise the potential of these cameras based on facts.
Contact us now if you want to transform your car park and are considering implementing the best ANPR cameras.
