Enhancing City Surveillance in France

The town of Zimmersheim, located in northeastern France, sought to enhance public safety by upgrading its video surveillance systems. Key areas, particularly city entrances and exits, required reliable night-time monitoring to capture number plates and track vehicle movement under challenging conditions, such as fast-moving traffic, poor weather, and unreliable street lighting.

Challenge

Capturing clear number plate images at night proved difficult with standard IR systems integrated into cameras. Vehicles travelling at high speeds, combined with bad weather and inconsistent street lighting, reduced visibility and compromised the effectiveness of surveillance.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) or License Plate Recognition (LPR) systems are essential for monitoring traffic, car park management, and supporting law enforcement. A critical component of these systems is a reliable lighting infrastructure. Infra-red (IR) lighting provides a consistent, powerful illumination source, particularly in low-light conditions or when overcoming headlight glare, ensuring number plates are captured sharply and accurately.

Solution

IMS Services developed E-MAX, a custom video surveillance and number plate recognition system, tailored to Zimmersheim’s needs. The solution combines powerful illumination with high-performance cameras to ensure reliable monitoring even in challenging conditions.

The system incorporates:

• A single Raytec VAR2-i8-1 Infra-Red (IR) illuminator, powered by 12/24V, with a built-in sensor that automatically switches the lighting on or off depending on ambient brightness, ensuring optimal performance while minimising energy consumption.
• Two HANWHA XNB cameras, equipped with specialised lenses, one for general context and one for number plate capture, both benefiting from the single Raytec IR illuminator.

The Raytec IR illuminator seamlessly integrated into the E-MAX system, providing consistent, focused illumination for accurate number plate capture, even when vehicles are moving at high speed or lighting conditions are poor. This goes to prove that while integrated IR technology has improved, external IR remains essential for high-performance surveillance. It extends range, improves image clarity, and ensures reliable night-time visibility.

Why Raytec

• Reliability: Proven track record in challenging environments; IP66-rated design ensures consistent performance in all weather conditions.
• Technical Performance: Powerful, long-range IR illumination (up to 350m) supported by interchangeable lenses, which allow installers to easily and precisely adjust the angle of illumination to suit any scene. This ensures the IR beam is optimised for both long-distance and wide-angle coverage, delivering consistent performance in varied environments. Raytec illuminators also offer Hot-Spot Reduction Technology, which minimises IR glare and prevents number plates from becoming overexposed or washed out. This results in clearer, sharper, and more reliable plate capture even in challenging lighting conditions.
• Ease of Integration: The VARIO2 range is designed for easy integration into existing security systems through software plug-ins, universal network connectivity (HTTP commands), and flexible installation features. This allows them to function as an interactive part of a smart system rather than a standalone accessory.

To learn more about our lighting solutions, please contact a member of our team at solutions@raytecled.com

Other Projects by IMS Services with Raytec illuminators

About the Customer

The project was managed by IMS Services, specialists in video surveillance for small and medium-sized towns. Their local focus ensures high-quality installation and ongoing maintenance to guarantee the longevity and effectiveness of each system.