If you’ve ever received a ticket in the mail that comes with a photo of you behind the wheel violating some traffic law – speeding, running a red light, etc. – you may be wondering, “How did they do that?” Traffic cameras are abundant in cities across the country and you may be nabbed for a traffic violation you didn’t even know you were committing!
Traffic Camera
Once used for traffic monitoring, today’s traffic cameras are being asked to capture not only driver information but license plate details, speed traveled and other information. The cameras that can snap a photo of your license plate as you make your way down the highway are called license plate recognition devices and utilize high speed cameras to capture and transmit the images.
Many of the cameras used have “optimized eye” technology installed which allows for the capture of high resolution images even if the weather conditions aren’t optimal. Law enforcement agencies use the high-in-the-sky cameras to monitor traffic, catch toll booth violators, recreate accident scenes and catch other traffic violations.
The cameras used in these operations typically fall into two categories: network cameras or industrial aka machine vision varieties and most incorporate anti-vibration technologies as well which allow the image to be crisp and clear.
Take heed when you’re driving down the highways today and every day because you just might be captured on camera!
UKA Optics is a manufacturer and designer of custom optical lenses for machine vision use, CMOS/CCD, and high-tech and electronic applications.