Mobile ANPR systems

CatchSystems has many years of experience in developing mobile ANPR systems and supplying its clients with solutions tailored to their specific requirements by combining a variety of off-the-shelf components. ANPR systems are available that can be built into a surveillance vehicle, built into a mobile workstation, or supplied in the form of a compact suitcase solution. The mobile suitcase solution enables the user to operate a plug-and-play ANPR system for a wide variety of applications.

CatchKen Mobile

When a system needs to be built into a vehicle, a dashboard camera is usually mounted behind the windshield that reads the license plates of passing vehicles with the help of strong infrared LED lighting. This unique concept, known as CKOW or CatchKen on Wheels provides users with a great many benefits, including the absence of external interference from pollution, simple and secure installation, and an unobstructed field of view for the user.

The CatchKen On Wheels system provides the user with a fully automated number plate recognition tool while driving. The system is automatically turned on as soon as the vehicle drives off. While driving, number plates are identified and read off with a high degree of precision and automatically compared to a Hitlist. As soon as a number plate on the Hitlist is detected, the user receives an audible warning signal and can then decide to take appropriate action if necessary. The system has very little impact on the user, who can focus fully on other tasks in the absence of a HIT. In addition to the exclusive dashboard cameras supplied by CatchSystems, there are also other cameras available that are compatible with the CKOW system. This system was developed in cooperation with the Dutch police authorities and has already served them very well for almost a decade.

Suitcase system

The most flexible version of a CatchSystems ANPR unit is a compact suitcase model that contains all the necessary ANPR components. The basic unit consists of a robust, waterproof, and industrial-quality suitcase with a built-in laptop. Depending upon the specific configuration required, the additional components are built into the space beneath the bottom protective panel, thereby providing optimum protection as well as a high degree of user-friendliness.

It is also possible to use an industrial-quality, convertible laptop together with technical components built into a junction box.

 
The standard camera used with a suitcase  system is a CatchSystems HD Ethernet camera, specifically developed in-house by CatchSystems and optimized for use with the suitcase system. The data link and power supply make use of the same standard Ethernet cable so that only a single cable is needed. This cable is fitted with robust industrial plug connectors and can bridge distances of up to 50 m, making the camera an extremely flexible and all-purpose tool.

The camera has built-in infrared LED lighting so that vehicle number plates are always perfectly visible even at night. The camera can also be optionally fitted with 940 nm IR LEDs, making it impossible to detect the camera, and with different lenses for identifying number plates at various distances. The camera can be mounted on a tripod and installed adjacent to the police vehicle, or it can be installed inside the vehicle, for example safely and securely behind the windshield.

All CatchSystems ANPR systems can be linked to and easily configured to work with various Back Office systems. With the help of an online link, the number plate readouts can be sent to a server in real time and immediately compared to a Hitlist online. It’s also possible to update Hitlists remotely via an online link, eliminating the need for USB sticks. CatchSystems manufactures the CatchKen software and the cameras itself, so that system modifications can be made to comply with specific project requirements whenever necessary.

Mobile workstation

An ANPR system can also be built into a mobile workstation to carry out checks on vehicles along a specific motorway or for special traffic campaigns. This is a very effective solution when a great many checks repeatedly need to be carried out and the requirements in terms of quality and ease-of-use are very strict. The system is built into a service vehicle and works in conjunction with a robust camera that is installed on a tripod alongside the motorway. The system can be equipped with several cameras, and the use of a pan- tilt unit together with a robust tripod makes it possible to set up the entire system very quickly. Fine adjustments can be made from the workstation, thereby further optimizing ease-of-use and safety for the user. Depending upon the type of camera used, number plates can be read out up to a distance of 4 lanes from the crash barrier.