Delaware-based Rekor Systems Inc. has been selected by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems that will be used to monitor vehicle movements at military facilities.
One of the world’s largest employers, the DoD has numerous facilities across the USA and globally, with many of its military bases the size of a small city. The DoD has awarded the new contract for the purchase of 200 licenses to use Rekor’s machine learning-enabled vehicle recognition system, powered by the company’s industry-leading OpenALPR software. Rekor is a leading developer in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze video streams and transform them into actionable information for multiple applications. The company’s OpenALPR software enables automatic license plate and vehicle recognition through virtually any IP (Internet Protocol) camera. The company’s AI-based systems can be hosted locally or in cloud-based platforms.
Enabled by machine learning from its robust and growing database covering over 60 countries, OpenALPR software can identify in real-time vehicle license plate data, color, make, model and body type. Rather than users having to purchase often expensive cameras that can take considerable time to ship and install, Rekor’s OpenALPR software can be deployed to any existing IP camera immediately. This can represent a potential substantial savings per camera, as well as greater flexibility to expand or decrease usage as needed without large capital expenditures on hardware. It also eliminates the need for two separate cameras, one for LPR functionality and one for general surveillance recording. Rekor’s monitoring system can be used to collect license plate data and information such as the make, model, and color of a vehicle using the same camera that provides surveillance monitoring.
Rekor says its AI-based systems can dramatically reduce the cost of electronic toll collection on major highways, manage traffic congestion in large cities, control operations at logistics or transit hubs, and monitor parking facilities, without the need to install expensive new cameras and network infrastructure.
“We are pleased to be selected by the DoD to provide vehicle recognition systems. Our systems are easy to integrate and highly scalable, making them an ideal solution to enhance security and surveillance operations,” said Robert A Berman, president and CEO of Rekor. “Selection by the world’s preeminent defense department is a great validation of our technology and one we are proud of. We look forward to working with the DoD to support their important work, and to further showcase the power of our solutions.”
Berman continued, “The fact that our solution can be deployed to any existing IP camera is extremely attractive in the defense sector, particularly where cameras may already be set up for surveillance and the installation of new hardware might prove difficult due to time constraints or location in harsh or remote terrains. The flexibility of our SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) model also allows for the easy integration of additional cameras if they are needed in a hurry, rather than having to wait for hardware to be shipped and installed. It provides valuable new capabilities within the defense sector.”
