ANPR System

Vronsky

Hi all,
I'm trying to build a low cost ANPR system to control a gate. Now I've got a suitable camera and the iSpy software has a anpr plugin. All I'm missing is some sort of hardware, and gate controller software for the PC.

My idea is that I would use the wiring thats there already for the intercom button, connected to a relay. When a whitelisted plate is detected by the iSpy software, it would trigger an executable to run the gate controller software and open the gate.

Anyone here have any idea of any PC based gate controller software and hardware?

ED E

This is more for home automation than home security tbh (though both are converging).

You dont need any specific software for the gate if you're patching into the hardware, just a USB based microcontroller that's suitable. Find out if its a 3/5/12v signal pin and just enable for 500ms or so upon trigger. Should be quite simple.


PS: Make sure nobody knows what you're doing on an A4 sheet will be an easy bypass.

bk

Yes, I was going to say that it might be worth asking about this over on the Home Automation forum. Some folks there might be able to help with the software/ANPR side of this.

To be honest though, I feel you might find it complicated to get set up and unreliable.

Perhaps a better approach would be simply a remote kept in the cars that regularly use the gate and a phone app for folks who less frequently use it.

Vronsky

Well there you are, I didn't know we had a home automation forum!

Thanks you both for your input, a USB relay is the thing I needed. However I take both your points of this solution is not particularly secure or accurate, the problem I have though is that what we have at the moment isn't secure at all. We have two gates into the property at the end of a long drive, one electric with fobs and the other not. The issue we have is that the gates are not opening fast enough for some or are too lazy to look for the fob and other members of the household are using the other gate, leaving it open. I don't want to lock the other gate and throw away the key either so I was thinking some sort of automatic solution that would detect a whitelisted car some distance away so that the gate would already be open once arrived at.

I'm also looking at an RFID solution as well

ED E

How much would it cost to upgrade to a GSM enabled gate? They're effective and secure.

"OK Google - Call House Entry" when you're 30 seconds from the gate works really well.

bk

This Irish company seems to sell a gate control system like this (I've no connection to them and no experience):

http://bluewall.ie/products-items/license-plate-recognition-parkit-access-control-camera/

If you Google it, there seems to be plenty of others.

If you want to DIY it, it seems some folks have gotten it to work on RaspberryPi:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58257

Vronsky

bk wrote: »

This Irish company seems to sell a gate control system like this (I've no connection to them and no experience):

http://bluewall.ie/products-items/license-plate-recognition-parkit-access-control-camera/

If you Google it, there seems to be plenty of others.

If you want to DIY it, it seems some folks have gotten it to work on RaspberryPi:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58257

Commercial grade systems cost several thousand euro, which is a bit out of my price range. I enjoy building these systems as well, and debugging is part of the challenge/fun.

The planned system will consist of LPR camera mounted close to entrance. This will be linked back to a PC which will be running ANPR software and when a whitelisted plate is detected, it will trigger a script I've written which will trigger a USB relay for 500ms, opening the gate.

The weak link here is the anpr software, but I've done a few demos with it over the last day or so with a low res webcam in poor light and it is relatively good. The high res optimised plate camera should yield better results hopefully.

I have most of the bits already (license plate camera, electric gates, power supplies) so I will probably build it to prove the concept, as I'll only be out of pocket by $5 for the USB relay and just record plates going forward.

I will try to go for something similar to what EDE has suggested but over internet rather than gsm, since gsm Sims need to have calls made from them every now and again to keep them active. The new permanent solution will be too build a system that will trigger the web connected relay by tapping an icon on the screen of a phone. Total build cost will be €35.

GSM relays cost about the same too.

bk

Cool, it can be hard to tell from a post or two some ones level of experience and willingness to play around with things/DIY. You sound like you are well up for this.

I'd strongly suggest you post over on the HA forum where I'm sure there would be lots of interest in this topic and others who have done similar and could help out.

The Home security forum tends to understandably lean towards more tried and tested solutions, due to requirements for security, insurance, etc. The folks over on the HA forum tend to be trying things out more for fun and experimentation, which sounds more in line with what you are doing here.