“We needed to make sure that we interfaced with a camera manufacturer with whom it would be easy to collaborate in creating this system,” says Tahm Hormozdyaran, president of 3Soft USA. “In addition, we had to be provided with reliable cameras that would be able to view license plates in all types of lighting conditions.”

The system uses Infinova’s V1044B series 1/3-inch outdoor colour IR cameras which feature a built-in IR illuminator and 4.0~9.0 mm auto iris varifocal lens. With Infinova's V1283 series IR illuminators, the cameras can provide surveillance, even in total darkness, at ranges up to 200 m (656 feet).

“Infinova’s ALPR software goes beyond simply reading and capturing a license plate,” explains Mark S. Wilson, Infinova vice president, marketing. “This software, in combination with Infinova cameras, can be used in many different vehicle-based applications.”

Search criteria of the software can be by license plate number, date, time and combination of date and time. Recognition is country independent, reading Latin, Arabic, Chinese and Cyrillic characters. The software alerts users regarding blacklisted and restricted plates. It also provides an option for the user to collect data on the driver via a touch screen input. Instant daily reports plus customized reports are available.

According to Wilson, the system would also be ideal for applications such as highway toll collection, traffic surveys, congestion control, public or private parking lot management and control, security monitoring of roads and check points, vehicle theft prevention and detection, law enforcement automation, state or country border surveillance, transit traffic monitoring, crime prevention and detection, traffic flow statistics, vehicle entrance admission, and speed and red light enforcement.

The Zio Technologies office in Abu Dhabi was the integrator for the project, coordinating with the design teams and installing the system. This is one of several projects that Zio Technologies has implemented in Sharjah.