FLEXIBLE ALPR |
License plate recognition is reaching new levels of sophistication
and speed thanks to developments from CARRIDA-Technologies
Words | Endre J Tóth, CARRIDA-Technologies, Germany
Above: CARRIDA’s
software can read
licence plates at
15-20ms per frame
with up to 99%
accuracy and match
them to the make
and model of car
CARRIDA-Technologies’
mission is to read cars and
license plates, as is reflected
in its name: ‘Car’ stands for
vehicles that the company loves,
while ‘Rida’ (pronounced ‘reader’)
indicates the company’s passion to
read and recognize license plates.
Its software module for automatic
license plate recognition (ALPR) is
designed for all kinds of applications.
A powerful OEM library
The CARRIDA software engine
is easy to integrate into existing
security and surveillance ITS
applications. It is fully hardware
independent and runs on Windows
and Linux PCs, as well as advanced
RISC machine (ARM) architectures
on Linux and Android. A very fast
processing speed of typically 15-20ms
per frame enables the reading of
license plates from vehicles travelling
up to 240km/h (150mph).
126 Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2020
The software can read license
plates even when they are partially
damaged, dirty or distorted. It also
works on noisy, low-contrast or lowresolution
images. Readings of up to
99% accuracy can be achieved under
real-world conditions. The software
can be used with any C and C++
project via an application program
interface (API), so the user can
program a broad range of applications
and can easily integrate CARRIDA’s
module into existing systems.
Working Worldwide
The CARRIDA software engine is
able to handle the plates of most
countries worldwide, including
state/country recognition. By this
important property CARRIDA’s
partners can rely on one proven
package for any application
anywhere. This reduces the
development effort for companies
offering solutions globally.
Obtain key vehicle data
In addition to the license plate
reading, a new Make&Model
recognition function offers even
more security and functionality by
allowing the user to check whether
the vehicle type matches the number
plate. It is also possible to categorize
vehicles whose number plates are not
stored in the ALPR system itself. This
allows intelligent traffic management
systems and parking operators to
increase their efficiency. Readings
with a positive match between the
car and its license plate can be
archived in the same system.
The software module is based
on the latest artificial intelligence
(AI) technology, ensuring high
recognition rates of vehicle makes
and models from all over the world.
Latest AI technology
CARRIDA uses Deep Learning
for Make&Model recognition. This
means that the computer itself has
been trained how to recognize a
particular vehicle type. Therefore, it
is possible to run much more complex
and thus more reliable recognitions.
A standalone
ALPR system