Vehicle DNA Solutions on Display at ISC East
AI-driven object recognition moves PlateSmart solutions beyond LPR into vehicle intelligence.
OLDSMAR, Fla., Nov. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- PlateSmart Technologies CEO and leading industry commentator John Chigos no longer considers the company's technology to only be about automatic license plate recognition (LPR). Instead, Chigos said it has evolved to become what he calls Vehicle DNA technology. And PlateSmart will be discussing that evolution with attendees of the ISC East trade show later this month in New York City, where it will be exhibiting with technology partner Axis Communications in booth #329.
"Investments we have made in AI and deep learning have allowed our industry-leading LPR solutions to grow into a tool that provides a holistic view of the vehicle," Chigos said. "The software gives us the ability to provide more actual data identifying the vehicle.
"The importance of our Vehicle DNA solution is the additional data that it can obtain as well as its ability to provide more predictive analytics based upon that data. That will allow federal and state law enforcement agencies to take a much more proactive approach to policing and targeting both criminals and terrorists alike."
Not only was PlateSmart the first company to deploy a software-only, camera-agnostic LPR solution, but it was the first to employ an early AI algorithm for object recognition instead of simple optical character recognition (OCR). Those early advancements allowed both the plate and its jurisdiction to be captured. They also earned PlateSmart — the oldest LPR manufacturer in the U.S. — recognition as an innovation leader within the security industry.
Later, in 2014, the company laid the groundwork for Vehicle DNA when it introduced a version of its flagship PlateSmart ARES® LPR software that was able to capture vehicle color and make.
Today, the Deep Neural Network (DNN)-based software is capable of that as well as vehicle detection, type and orientation. And at ISC East, attendees can learn more while getting a live demo of PlateSmart ARES, which is an end-to-end solution for industries from law enforcement and citywide surveillance to retail to commercial facilities — anywhere perimeter security is key.
As a software-only solution, PlateSmart ARES integrates seamlessly with most major video management systems (VMS) as well as virtually any IP camera, including those manufactured by technology partner Axis Communications.
But PlateSmart has made such integration even easier with its all-new Powered by PlateSmart™ solution. Powered by PlateSmart allows third-party solution providers — including video management system (VMS) providers, camera manufacturers, security software firms and the like — to extend the capabilities of their solutions by integrating PlateSmart's LPR technology.
"Say your company already offers a business solution — video surveillance software, for example — but it doesn't include LPR," Chigos said. "Powered by PlateSmart lets you add LPR functionality quickly and cost-effectively to virtually any camera deployed.
"Powered by PlateSmart extracts the plate and vehicle data and sends it as metadata to your solution via plugin. From there, you can present, report and store the data however you choose within your solution's environment. It's seamless to your customers but a tremendous value add."
Chigos added that the integration process can take as little as a few hours.
Powered by PlateSmart is the latest technology from the company to be considered for special recognition. It has earned PlateSmart a position as a finalist in American Security Today's 2019 ASTORS Homeland Security Awards. PlateSmart is a three-time winner of ASTORS awards, having been recognized in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with gold and platinum ASTORS awards for its PlateSmart ARES solution. ASTORS award winners will be announced at a luncheon on Nov. 20 at ISC East.
Both PlateSmart solutions also benefit from other unique performance enhancements designed and implemented by the company's engineering team.
For example, users can specify particular regions of the video frame, called "regions of interest," in which the software will look for plates so that it doesn't waste effort reading plates outside of those regions. PlateSmart's new motion detection capability further preserves precious CPU capacity by only triggering the software when motion is detected in the frame. Users can also mask regions of the frame that are never to be read, either because they contain extraneous data or have miscellaneous motion.
Plates captured at an angle, which have historically been more difficult to read, are addressed using a unique PlateSmart advancement called Perspective Correction. Thanks to proprietary algorithms, users can instruct the software to take plate images captured at an angle and correct them in 3-D — essentially straightening them from left to right and top to bottom —so they can be more easily and accurately read.
"When it comes to these and any other advancements we make to our solutions, we prefer to develop our own intellectual property," Chigos said. "That way we can rigorously control the quality. And with LPR, quality is paramount. Our customers rely on us for the security our LPR software provides. That's why we rely on our own engineering team to develop and enhance that software."
"Plus, we can focus on functionality that yields the greatest return on investment for our customers, as these enhancements undoubtedly do."
SOURCE PlateSmart Technologies
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