Automatic number plate recognition is a new technology that makes use of optical character recognition technology to read car registration plates to produce detailed vehicle location information for vehicles. It is capable of using any existing closed-circuit TV, police cameras, or specialized cameras specifically designed for this purpose. This method of reading is used on a large scale in several countries today.
Automatic number plate recognition has its roots in several years of development. During this time it has been improved in size and capability. Currently, it is being used on roads in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Currently, this technology is available in the United States and other countries. Automobile clubs and insurance companies are using it for verification purposes. In regions such as the United States, the increasing sales of automobiles have increased the usage of automatic number plate recognition. For instance, according to the American Automobile Association, in 2020, around 276 million vehicles were registered in the United States.
The automatic number plate recognition is based upon a highly sophisticated algorithm that identifies hundreds of millions of possible symbols. The system’s algorithms are extremely accurate and depend only on the specific information provided by the camera. The plates are analyzed by these cameras using a database of over ninety-five million license plates. When a camera recognizes a number plate, it searches the database for any matches that satisfy a set of parameters. If the number plate matches one in the database it alerts the camera. The system uses a counter which counts the number of times the camera triggers the search.
As per market survey by Coherent Market Insights, The global automatic number plate recognition market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,149.0 million in 2021 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 12.4% over the forecast period (2021-2028).
The central control unit of these systems uses an encryption code to authenticate the transmitted signal. After the authentication process, it can determine if the number is legally registered or not. The automatic number plate recognition will record all findings and transmit them to a central control station. It will then determine the appropriate action, which may be to delete, change, or annul a license plate. Automatic number plate recognition has several advantages and is becoming more widely used around the world. The main reason for its use is the fact that it is quick and easy. It saves a lot of time as well as money, which is often wasted in a manual system. It also saves lives and minimizes the risk of accidents.
