License Plate Recognition or LPR is an AI-based IoT solution commonly used by police or law enforcers for analyzing the data of moving and static vehicles through their number plates. This gives them readily data on whether the vehicle is authorized or unauthorized, making them take necessary steps according to its status.
Also, LPR is mistakenly compared with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) or Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR), assuming all of them as different technologies. But factually, they are interchangeable terms used for the same technological purpose.
Furthermore, this vehicle detection IoT solution is a composition of hardware and software that scan a number plate of any vehicle parked in an area. OLIOS is an apt example of such a system as it uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for license plate recognition converting taken images of number plates into alphanumeric text. Then, it uses this text to check and compare it with local records to know the vehicle’s legal status or its owner.
Given its efficient and fast-working LPR system, OLIOS has become a popular demand for police patrolling, traffic management, and surveillance. It is crucial for the purposes of stolen vehicle recovery, public and residential parking enforcement, surveillance, and police checkpoints.
Nevertheless, purposes in the context of police patrolling and management are just the tip of the iceberg. LPR system has so many potential uses that can further add value to the concept of smart cities by ensuring and enhancing security levels. Instead of not only using it for police patrolling sites, but LPR can also be very beneficial for other important sites that hold a larger interest in the society, which are mentioned below:
LPR’s Uses at Other Potential Sites
1. National Security Sites
First and foremost, the LPR system can be used for national security sites like the Pentagon or areas surrounding security agencies and houses of important government officials. It can be used for detecting unauthorized or unlicensed cars and vehicles in such kinds of localities, alerting, and raising timely concerns of law enforcement institutions regarding the presence of such suspicious vehicles or people. Police or SWAT teams can be notified readily, which may help them locate terrorists, fugitives, or even criminals. In this way, they can take appropriate actions and prevent any future mishaps of organized crime or terrorist activities. Thus, using LPR for other sites interested in national security can be a major step or initiative toward utilizing the full potential of IoT solutions.
2. Airports
Another important site where usage of LPR can be very crucial is airports. According to Airline.org, approximately 22,268 flights are scheduled daily, which take off with millions of passengers interstate or to a foreign land. Given such a scenario, the airport is a type of site with a great concentration of people going from or coming to the city, making its security a matter of national interest. Thus, LPR can be an apt and efficient system that helps the patrolling police or aviation security staff to scrutinize the area of a suspicious vehicle more proficiently. This can alert them about organized crime in advance, preparing them to take necessary actions and prevent terrorist activity.
Also, it can play an essential role in locating and apprehending a criminal or fugitive trying to elope from the state or the country, bypassing any law or federal punishment.
3. Shipping Ports
Shipping ports also come in the category of sites that have great significance at the national level. The USA is an epitome of a developed nation, which possesses a large economy making trades with multiple foreign countries at a huge level. Seemingly, the shipping port is mainly used for such purposes, making it responsible for ensuring a swift, fast, and errorless operation of the country’s economic activities with other nations. Being an important site, the security of shipping ports understandably becomes a matter of utmost significance. Therefore, LPR can fill in some of the gaps of security concerns by notifying the law personnel about the sighting and presence of unusual vehicles and people. This can help them neutralize or dismantle any threat, plan of organized crime, or terrorism.
Moreover, LPR can also be used by port officials to timely check the status of export vehicles or maintain a smart record of import ones so that the concerned people have a track record of vehicles that are coming in or going out of the country. Resultantly this increases the security level of such sites.
4. Special Events
In the USA, it is a matter of the fact that thousands of citizens like to enjoy and experience many special events of sports nature. Games like Baseball, soccer, basketball, and especially American football (NFL) are the top crowd-pullers in the country. Millions of people like to attend such extraordinary events to enjoy. This again raises the safety concern of the masses. Therefore, LPR can be used by the security officials of such events, making them alert about an unauthorized vehicle that enters the premises. Through this IoT-based solution, they can timely notify the police officers or law enforcers about the presence of such an unusual person in one’s vehicle without even alarming or raising the latter’s suspicion. On the other hand, security or law enforcement officials can take well-thought action against such a person without causing any delay or trouble during the special event.
Conclusion:
To sum up, license plate recognition is becoming a principal factor in ensuring security and safety of not only a common locality but also sites of national interest or those places like concerts & stadiums that usually accommodate millions of people. LPR is revolutionizing the smart city concept by making the world a better and safe place to live.
