New Opportunities and Markets for ANPR in a Crisis Setting

Transcription

1 New Opportunities and Markets for ANPR in a Crisis Setting The crisis currently affecting Europe, and particularly countries in the south (Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy), is changing the sources of demand for ANPR. Logically, interest in systems of this kind in sectors where the ROI is neither clear nor immediate has decreased enormously. However, applying ANPR technology to almost any sector or activity always leads to benefits: Better control Better security Better traceability Calculating the actual return on investment is often difficult. The economic situation of some European countries is particularly dramatic, with unemployment rates spiralling out of control, public organisations indebted to the hilt and no resources for investment, etc. This situation has produced new scenarios and problems in Europe that have enabled the ANPR to break into new sectors. The increase in petty theft, coupled with the urgent need of public organisations to obtain new sources of funding, are two of the factors that have acted as an impetus for these new niches. Some examples of the new necessities are shown below: Petrol stations Town Councils Industrial Areas

2 Petrol stations Typically, during daytime hours petrol stations in many European countries operate in self-service mode, where the customer refuels before going to the cashier to pay the amount due. Although there has always been the odd customer that drives off without paying, until the start of the crisis the percentage of non-payments was relatively small and the loss could be absorbed by the petrol station/distributor and certainly offset by the few staff members needed to deal with the business in self-service mode. Now, with the current crisis and fuel prices at maximum highs: 1. There are record numbers of customers that do not pay. 2. The loss is greater because the fuel price is higher (in the case of lorries, we could be talking about hundreds of euros). 3. In countries such as Spain, current requirements mean it is necessary to pay legal fees of around 200 when filing a claim.

3 All this means that preventing the crime has taken on a more important role. One of the ways of minimising this kind of theft has been to install ANPR systems connected to the pump management system and, very often, to the network video recorder (NVR) that the petrol station already has. It basically works as follows: An ANPR system is installed with cameras focused on each pump, so the system always knows the last number plate(s) in each fuel queue. If a customer leaves the petrol station without paying, their number plate is added to a blacklist. This blacklist and this is the point is added to and shared by all service stations of the same group. (In some countries there is a question mark on the legal limits of keeping this list as well as the time limits involved.)

4 When the customer tries to repeat the operation at another of the group s petrol stations, the ANPR recognises the number plate, verifies the blacklist and if this vehicle is on it either: Disables the pump from dispensing fuel to the customer. Requires prepayment for that pump. Combining this system with signage clearly stating that the service station has a security system could also act as a deterrent and thus prevent the theft. In addition, this technology could be used to increase customer loyalty, detecting their consumption habits to facilitate refuelling or proposing discounts, etc.

5 Town Councils In countries such as Spain, the practice of setting up traffic management systems on a rental basis is becoming widespread. That is, the supply company must: Supply and install the ANPR systems. Maintain these systems for the contract duration and guarantee the maximum possible uptime of these systems. Also assist in daily management of fines. In exchange, the town council pays the company: A fixed yearly amount (fairly small). A percentage of each fine collected These contracts are usually for four years, which is enough time to recover the investment easily. These systems include: Radar systems. Speed control in sensitive or problematic areas of the city. Red Light systems. These make sure that red traffic lights are respected. Bus/taxi lane supervision systems. These check that non-public transport vehicles do not invade these lanes. Virtual bollard systems. Controlling access to pedestrian areas. On-board systems in municipal police cars to control: Etc. o Bus/taxi lane o Pedestrian areas o Search for vehicles of interest to police

6 The last three are basically the same system, and the main difference is whether or not there is a trigger to read number plates (red traffic light). These systems also increase functionality when they are combined with a network video recorder (NVR). The existing bandwidth of the communications network available to the town council will determine the architecture of systems. When this bandwidth is low (3G, WiMAX, etc.), it is more appropriate to use distributed architecture, where the ANPR works locally and restricts what is sent to the control centre to proposed fines or readings. However, if there is an infrastructure available with large amounts of bandwidth (fibre optic), a centralised architecture could lower the costs of the system in general, given that the ANPR would work centrally on a single server. The rental contract method means that the public organisation (town council) does not initially have to fork out a large amount of money, no small matter given the current situation. In general, although these systems (semi-managed by private companies) have become quite unpopular in some southern European countries (Italy, for example), if the public

7 does not feel the systems are being abused, they can be highly beneficial in: Acting as a traffic-calming measure in areas with a high rate of accidents. Increasing the control and improving traffic management of the city or town. Obtaining much-needed extra revenue. With the expansion of the smart city concept, these systems are slowly being deployed throughout our towns and cities, interconnected with other intelligent transport systems (ITS).

8 Control of Industrial Areas In recent years, the number of thefts in industrial areas has increased appreciably. The target of these thefts is usually raw materials, currently highly valued, such as copper and so on, or machinery. Although some of these industrial areas are access-controlled by barriers and security guards, the vast majority are freely accessible. Many of these industrial estates are privately managed, and the security/deterrent systems they employ represent added value when it comes to attracting clients. The installation of cameras at all access points to the industrial estate and recognising and keeping a log of number plates are first and foremost a deterrent, providing the use of this system is properly signposted. It also provides the police with a record of access in the event of a crime. These systems typically store: Date and time of entering and leaving the industrial estate Number plate Type of access (arriving or departing)

9 Images of the vehicle Free-flow number plate recognition systems are normally employed, as it is necessary to recognise number plates at high speeds. Once again, combining the number plate recognition technology with a video recorder provides the system with immense added value, as the scene before and after the vehicle passes can be observed. For those companies that offer solutions in all of these scenarios, Neural Labs provides them with: Number plate recognition technology Advice and consultancy concerning both hardware as well as set-up of the solution. In short, we offer comprehensive support, if the customer so wishes, to reduce development and implementation times. By Elías Valcárcel Torres ANPR Consultant at Neural Labs, S.L.