Genetec AutoVu LPR Camera Tested

By: Ethan Ace, Published on Feb 23, 2015

License plate video is one of the most requested elements of video surveillance.

IPVM has done many tests on license plate cameras, including the:

Now, we are adding a new test on Genetec's AutoVu, consisting of their Sharp XGA camera integrated with Security Center.

AutoVu claims high read rates, full integration with other systems, and novel advanced vehicle analytics (such as vehicle, speed, direction of motion, state identification and model identification), all uncommon features.

Inside, we have 20+ minutes of videos. Watch the 1-minute preview / excerpt below:

We tested Genetec's LPR on a busy roadway to see how it performed, covering these topics:

  • How many vehicles were missed?
  • Were plates read accurately?
  • What issues caused misreads?
  • Where did the vehicle analytics work and fail?

    • ******* ***** ***** ** one ** *** **** requested ******** ** ***** surveillance.

    **** *** **** **** tests ** ******* ***** cameras, ********* ***:

    ***, ** *** ****** a *** **** *********'* ******, ********** ** ********** ********* ********** ************ ******.

    ****** ****** **** **** rates, **** *********** **** other *******, *** ************* ******* *********(**** ** *******, *****, direction ** ******, ***** identification *** ***** **************), all ******** ********.

    ******, ** **** **+ minutes ** ******. ***** the *-****** ******* / excerpt *****:

    ** ****** *******'* *** on * **** ******* to *** *** ** performed, ******** ***** ******:

    • *** **** ******** **** missed?
    • **** ****** **** **********?
    • **** ****** ****** ********?
    • ***** *** *** ******* analytics **** *** ****?

    [***************]

    Key ********

    **** *** *** *** findings **** **** ****:

    • ****** **** *** ******** passing *** ****** **** captured **** *** ****** of *** ******* ** ~1500 *****.
    • ******* **** **% ** plates **** **** **********, with ********* ******** ******* and ******* ********** ***** the **** ********
    • ****** **** ************ **** 2-3 ***** ** *** same *******, **** ********* reads *** ****, ****** in *** ***** ** least *** **** *** accurate.
    • *** ********** ** ******* lettering ***** **** ****** being ****, **** ** Fedex ** ******* ********.
    • **** **** **** *****, <1 ****** **** ******* passing ** **** ***** generated ** ******** ******.
    • ***** ********* **** **** accurate, ****** *-* ***** per **** ** *** tests, ** ****** **** 10-50 ***.
    • ******* **** ********* ****** reading **-**% ** ****. However, **** **** *** read, ** *** ********* accurate.
    • ***** ***** ** ****** was **** **** * handful ** *****. ****** seen ** ******* **** reflective, *** *** ***** name *** ******* ** almost *** *****, *** to **** *** **** or ********* ******** *** to ******* ***** ****** and ******.
    • ********* ** ****** ********* accurately ********** ******* ******** were *********** ** ****** away **** *** ******.
    • ******** *********** ** ********* only ****** **** **** information, **** ** ****** or ******** ********* ********. Genetec **** **** **** implement ***** ******** ** an ******** *******.
    • ** ***** ***** *** Integration - *** **** to *** ******* ******** Center *** ****** ***.

    *******

    *** **** ** *******'* Sharp ****** *** ******** accessories ****** ~$*,***, **** another ~$*,*** ** ********* costs *** ****** ******, totaling ***** $*,*** *** a ****** ****** ******.

    ***************

    ****** ******** **** ********, Security ****** ***********, *** novel (****** *******) ******** features, ****** *** **** price ****** ** ****** many *****' *******. *******, users ******* *** *** performance ** ******** ************ such ** **** ************, critical **************, ** ****-*** corporate ******* ****** ******** AutoVu.

    *******, ***** ******* *** integration *** ********* **** Genetec's *** ******** ****** should **** *********. *** AutoVu ***** ****** *** not ** **** **** other *****, *** ***** are ********* ** *****-***** VMS ************ ** *** data.

    Physical ************

    *** ***** *** ** a ****-****** ********* ******* camera. *** ****** *** only * ****** ******** connector, *** ** ***** are **** ***********.

    **** ***** ******* *** physical ******** ** *** Sharp:

    Camera *************

    *** ***** ****** ******** very ****** ************* **** added ** * ******** Center ******. *** ******* web ********* **** *** include ******* *******, **** as ********, *****, ** other ******** ******** **** on ******** *******. *******, it ** ****** **** for ******* ********** *** analytic ***** **** ** plate *******, ******* *****, and ******** *********.

    **** ***** ******* *** web ****** ** *** Sharp ******:

    AutoVu *********

    ** **** ** *******'* Security ****** *****, ****** is ***** ********** **** the ******** **** ******, for **** **** *** archive ***. ***** *** hits ****** ** ******, along **** *****, ********* cameras *** ****** ******* devices, *** *** ** searched ** *** **** way.

    **** ***** ******* *** operation ** ****** *** the ******** **** ******:


    Camera ***** ** ****

    **** **** *** *** cameras ** *** ****** Sharp (*** *** ********) have ********* *********** *** fields ** ****. *** example, ** *** *******, we **** *** *******, one **** * **** lens *** *** **** a **** **** *** the *** ******. **** used ***** ***** *** lenses *** *** ******** camera.

    **** ***** ***** *** field ** **** ** each:

    ******** *** **** *****

    ******* ********* *** ***** may ** ******* ** to **° ********** *** 50° ************ **** *** target ** *******. *******, they ********* ****** ** kept ** ******* ** possible. **** *** ******* moving *** ****** ******* back **** *** **** area *** ***** * longer **** ****** (*, 12, **, **, **, and **** ****** *** available).

    *** ******** ** ****** varies ********* ** ***** lens ** ****, **** about **' ** ***** 8mm ******* ** ***** 100' ***** ****. *** read **** *** *** two ******* ** **** during ******* (** *** 25mm) ** ***** *****:

    Read ******

    *******, ****** *** ****** accurate, **** *** ********. However, ******* ********** ********* caused ********, ** **** in *** ***** *****. Most ********, ***** ********** were **** ** * single ********* ****** ** number, ** **** ** the ******** ******* *****. The ******* ********** ** this **** (**) **** read ** ** * (note **** *** *** on *** ******* ***** was **** ****).

    ** *** ******* ** the *****, *** ******* US ********** *** ****** not **** ** ***. This ** ********** ** characters **** *****, *******, as **** *** ***** be ***** ** ********, either ***** **** *** unstacked **********, ** ***** wildcard ********** (* *** ?).

    * ******, **** ****** issue *** ******* ******* lettering ** * ******* plate. ******* ******** **** in **** ***** ***** characters *** ************* *** same ****** ** ***** characters, *** ** *** right ****** ** *** FOV, **** *** ** read ** * *****.

    *******, *** ***** ******, were ***** ***** ********** were ****** *** **** properly. **** ** ***** in *** ******* *****, and ****** *** ** excessive **** ** ****** on *** *****, *********** "smudging" *** ******* ** the ******'* ****.

    AutoVu *********

    ** ***** ****** *******, Genetec ******** "******** ******* Analytics", ********* *****, *********, vehicle ****, *** ***** of ******. ***** ********* are ***** ** ********** fields ** **** ****, and *** ** ********* in **** *** ****** read *******.

    *******, ** ******** ****** 5.2, *** ***** ********* may ** **** *** searched ** *******.

    • ***** ******** (***** * and ?) ********* **** not ****. *******, ***** must **** *** ***** string ** ******. **, for *******, ********* ">**" returns ** ****** *******, but ******** "** ***" returns *** ******** ****** exactly ** ***** *** hour.
    • ******** **** *** *** be **** ** ****** alarms, *.*., * *** approaching * ****** ** a **** ** ***** it ****** ** ****** away.

    ******* ***** ** ****** and ****** **** ** included ** ***** ******** 5.3 *******.

    **** ***** ******* *** of ***** *********:

    ***** *** *********

    ******'* ***** ********* **** accurate ** ****** *-* miles *** **** ** our ***** **** ******** calibrated. *******, ***** *** camera ********** ***** ***** the ******** **** ** the ******* *****, ***** changes ** ***** ** view *** *********** ****** speed ********* ********.

    *** *******, ** *** righthand ***** *****, *** camera *** **** ****** down *** ** *** right ***** ***********, * total ** **** * few *******. *******, **** small ****** ******* ** the ~** *** ***** being **** *** ***.

    ******** ****** ********* **** also ********, ****** ********** whether *** *** *** moving ****** ** **** from *** ******. ***** the ***** ** **** of *** *** ****** is ***** *** ** a ******* ***** ** the ****, **** ***** two ********** *** **********, and **** ** ******** which ******** * ****. Other ******* ** *** field ** **** ** either ****** *** *** analyzed.

    ******* ****/******

    ** *** *****, ******* plate ***** ** ****** was **** **** *** time, *** **** ** our ******** *** *******, not ***** *******. ******* informs ** **** *** state ** ****** ******* of *** ******* ***** must ** ** ********** in ***** ** ****. Despite **/**/** ***** ** their **** ** ********** plates, *** ***** *** still *** ****, ** most ***** ****** * blur ** **** *****.

    ******* **** *** **** inaccurate, **** ** **-**% of ********.

    ************ ******* (**** ** Honda, ******, *****, ****, etc.) **** **** ******** read **** ***** ***** simply **** ********* (****, Volvo).

    Versions ****

    **** **** **** *** following ******** *** ******** versions:

    • ***** *** *, ******** version **.*.***.*
    • ******* ******** ******, ******* 5.2 ** * (*.*.****.**)

Comments (10)

Sean Patton

02/23/15 04:18pm

Great report, I'm sure it will be under-read and sink into oblivion; but one nit-pick is you state "Genetec requires IR reflective plates, something not common in the region we tested (PA / NJ / NY)."

There are actually only 2-3 states in the US that are not IR reflection coated (Colorado? Dakotas? - I forget the list, but NY/PA/NJ are all reflective).

That also doesn't mean that they can identify the plate state any better.

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Sean Patton | 02/23/15 04:31pm

Thanks for that feedback. I'm going to reword that. It's not that the whole plate isn't reflective, it's that the state name isn't raised and reflective like the plate number.

The majority of the time, we saw simply a blur for state name. You can see that in the example in the report.

Sean Patton

In reply to Ethan Ace | 02/23/15 04:46pm

Also there are different location contexts that can be loaded to handle things like stacked characters (Maryland) better

Hernan Carzalo

IPVMU Certified | 02/24/15 02:42am
Great report. Did you test the central server software?
Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Hernan Carzalo | 02/24/15 02:10pm

We have a video showing live and search operations using Security Desk in the report, is that what you mean?

We've also done a test of Security Center itself.

KV Swami

10/27/15 02:15pm

Very comprehensive report. Thank you Ethan. Genetec now also offers the option to be able to use certain off the shelf cameras (AXIS P3364-LVE, AXIS P1425-LE, AXIS Q1765-LE, Panasonic WV-SFV 631L, Sony SNC-EB632R, Sony SBC-VB632D) for low speed LPR applications using the same AutoVu brains in the back end. This can be done using their new AutoVu Plate Reader Cloud Plugin or by using an on-premise server based solution. Works great for entry and exit driveways or slow speed parking applications.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to KV Swami | 10/27/15 02:18pm

KV, we have tested Genetec's Cloud LPR here.

KV Swami

10/27/15 02:21pm

Thank you John.

Undisclosed

02/27/17 03:35pm

Does anyone know if a Genetec AutoVu camera can be connected to a Milestone Corporate system via ONVIF etc?

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed | 02/27/17 03:43pm

No, it can't. It's compatible with Genetec only.

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