Best practices associated with getting the night license plate captures
Achieving the best possible license plate night captures can indeed be challenging due to various factors such as fluctuating light sources, environmental conditions, and changes in weather.
Novices in the domain may need to make several attempts to fine-tune camera settings and positioning for optimal results. Patience and persistence are key when working to improve nighttime capture quality, as it often involves trial and error to identify the most effective configurations.
Additionally, seeking guidance from experienced professionals, such as the Rekor Implementation Service team or referring to the resources provided below or other camera manufacturers can help accelerate the learning process and improve capture performance over time.
Night capture educational material
Be sure to watch the introductory video, which provides essential insights into achieving optimal night license plate captures:
Camera placement: https://docs.rekor.ai/v/scout/camera-configuration/camera-placement-guide
Camera positioning: https://docs.rekor.ai/v/scout/camera-configuration/camera-positioning
Lighting information: https://docs.rekor.ai/v/scout/camera-configuration/lighting
Starting point for camera settings: https://docs.rekor.ai/v/scout/camera-configuration/camera-image-settings
Edge Pro Step-by-Step night calibration
Step-by-step method specific to the Rekor Edge Pro cameras:
- Ensure that the location and time settings are accurate for the Edge Pro to switch to night capture mode after sunset.
- Wait until it is completely dark outside (typically around 8-9pm EST during the winter months). Note: It is essential to perform focus calibration at night and when the Edge Pro is in night capture mode.
- Position a vehicle with a visible license plate in the desired area for license plate capture.
- Adjust the camera focus specifically on the license plate, disabling auto-focus.
- Check that the Infrared Illuminator is not overly strong, as this can cause whiteout on the plate.
- Fine-tune camera settings to optimize contrast for clear license plate capture. Refer to the provided video examples for guidance on achieving optimal night captures.
- Have a vehicle drive past the camera at the expected speed to validate the settings.
- It may be necessary to test settings with various angles and different types of license plates, as each plate may exhibit different light reflection properties.
Experimental (unsupported)
For customers prioritizing plate capture, including low-confidence plate reads over high-confidence and unique plate capture, adjustments can be made to enhance the sensitivity of the Rekor Agent Software.
However, please exercise caution and refrain from making these changes unless you are proficient with Linux and comfortable editing text files using command-line tools such as VI. Incorrect modifications may necessitate resetting the Edge Pro to factory settings.
Note: The parameters and values are case sensitive in the openalpd.conf file.
plate_group_min_confidence = 50
plate_groups_enabled = 1