From ALPR cameras to AI-based traffic management software, Taiwan-made smart traffic solutions are seen on highways, rail and parking lots not just in Taiwan but all over the world.
Increasingly, transportation authorities are turning to smart traffic solutions to solve various transportation problems. From ALPR cameras to AI-based traffic management software, Taiwan-made smart traffic solutions are seen on highways, rail and parking lots not just in Taiwan but all over the world. This article takes a closer look at MIT smart traffic solutions on display at Secutech Taiwan, held April 24-26.
ACTi
Increasingly,
ALPR or automatic license plate recognition is placed in security cameras to help reduce bandwidth consumption and speed up response to events. In this regard, ACTi has unveiled their ALPR PTZ camera that can be useful in
highway management and law enforcement.
“Once a blacklisted vehicle is identified, the system will send an alert to the user’s computer, smartphone or e-mail. The camera can also trigger audio alarms or flashlights. It’s a PTZ camera that has a 40x zoom, which is good for highway applications. It can also rotate 360 degrees and capture scenes from all direction,” said Sunny Peng, Sales Account Manager at ACTi.
She adds ACTi can highly customize their products based on the needs of customers, which are spread across the globe. “We have projects not just in Taiwan but also countries all over the world, even in Ethiopia. We are MIT, cyber-secure and use Taiwan- and US-made chips,” she said.
Also at the show, ACTi showcased their NVR software. The NVR 3 Corporate edition can support up to 200 channels, up to 225 display layout grid, live view and synchronized playback. The software can be downloaded for free to be used on the user’s NVR of choice.
LILIN
Needless to say, ALPR cameras and other smart traffic solutions must be robust to resist strong winds and vibration. In this regard, Merit LILIN displayed their award-winning IMU shock-proof ALPR camera, which is built with an integrated gyroscope, can withstand winds of up to 60 meters per second and can endure forces of 15g vertically and 9g horizontally.
“Here, g is the measurement for gravitational field strength. 1g can throw you from floor to ceiling. Meanwhile, the highest typhoon category has wind speed of 60m/s. This means the camera can withstand the strongest typhoons,” said a LILIN spokesperson at the show. “The camera can be placed on highway overpasses and other high places and give steady video no matter how windy it is. You can also beat it with a bat or hammer and the video won’t shake a bit.”
LILIN also demonstrated other cutting-edge, made-in-Taiwan camera models including: a speed dome with a range of nearly 1 kilometer, significantly reducing the cost of installing multiple cameras to cover such a long distance; and their TOF (time-of-flight) camera that’s ideal for nursing homes and other healthcare facilities where residents/patients’ health and safety can be monitored without them feeling their privacy has been invaded.
3S
3S, meanwhile, displayed a range of smart solutions to improve roadway and rail safety.
“We have smart traffic solutions that can perform technology enforcement, which has become a popular concept both in Taiwan and abroad. At the center of the solution is our PTZ camera that can keep rotating or be fixed. The cameras are enabled with AI which can detect illegal parking or other violations, for example not yielding to pedestrians on crosswalks. The solution will send the license plate information to the backend,” said Alvis Chen, Sales Assistant Manager at 3S. “Our ALPR can be placed both on our own cameras as well as on backend servers based on the project need.”
Also on display were 3S’s smart rail solution, which has become more needed amid shortages of manpower needed to inspect rail tracks from time to time. 3S’s solution can detect objects on tracks, intrusion and other irregular and abnormal events.
“Not only that, our solution can also determine the size of the object on the rail, thanks to our camera integrated with a radar. This provides further insights and situational awareness for operators,” Chen added.
In addition, 3S showcased their visible-light and thermal cameras that have military and even drone applications. “For drones, we supply visible-light and thermal modules, the latter of which can do wonders in rescue and fire-prevention scenarios,” Chen said. “For example, Mitsubishi has a fire prevention solution using drones, which use our thermal modules to detect small fire points – something visible-light cameras can’t do.”
Hunt
Meanwhile,
parking is an important part in smart transportation and smart city initiatives. In this regard, Hunt has a smart parking solution that boosts navigation and management. For those of us driving, a sensor-based parking garage navigation system should be quite familiar: wherever you see a green light on top of a space, you know that space is empty and park in it. Hunt’s solution is similar, except the light is directly integrated into the camera.
“We have a dual-lens camera integrated with an LED light that can shine different colors. Each lens covers three spaces, so each camera covers six spaces. When you see the greenlight on the camera, you know there’s a parking space in the area,” said George Cheng, Account Manager at Hunt.
He added: “We also have ALPR cameras that recognize plates from different regions in the world, including Taiwan, Japan and India. When placed at the parking entrance/exit, the camera can connect directly to display panels and barriers, without having to go through the backend first. Blacklists and whitelists are also stored in the camera, which will tell the barrier to stay closed to blacklisted vehicles.”
Hunt also displayed other advanced hardware and solutions to solve user needs. Examples include their thermal cameras, explosion-proof cameras and 4G/5G cameras that can be useful in remote places where laying cables is difficult. Also of note is an AI-based illegal garbage disposal detection solution. While not common in Taiwan, some individuals are known to illegally dispose of household trash in streets and alleyways. The solution can identify those acts and thus be useful for law enforcement and environmental protection agencies.