From infrared illumination to edge-AI character recognition — a complete plate read delivered in under 50 milliseconds, with no server required.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and License Plate Recognition (LPR) describe the same core technology. The name simply differs by region.
The standard term used across the UK, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Refers to automated camera systems that read vehicle registration plates in real time and compare them against databases.
The equivalent term used predominantly in North America. Identical technology and capabilities — the terminology reflects regional naming conventions for vehicle registration plates.
CatchSystems ANPR cameras support all major international plate formats — European, North American, and beyond.
Five distinct processes happen inside every CatchCAM camera each time a vehicle passes — so fast the driver never knows it happened.
The camera emits infrared (IR) light — invisible to the human eye — that illuminates the retroreflective coating on the licence plate. This produces a consistently high-contrast image regardless of ambient lighting, day or night, without blinding drivers.
A 2-megapixel sensor captures one or more frames of the passing vehicle. An optical IR filter removes ambient light noise, ensuring the plate characters are sharp and legible even at speeds up to 300 km/h.
The on-board AI model scans each captured frame and identifies the exact position and boundaries of the licence plate within the image — isolating it from the surrounding vehicle, road, and environment for character recognition.
A deep-learning OCR model reads each character on the plate with 99% accuracy. The model automatically identifies the country format and plate layout — supporting all major international plate styles without manual configuration.
The recognised plate text, timestamp, GPS coordinates, camera ID, and confidence level are instantly transmitted to CatchKen or CatchKen Web for hitlist matching and logging — all before the vehicle has cleared the camera field of view.
Traditional ANPR systems stream video to a central server for processing. This creates network latency, high bandwidth costs, and a single point of failure — unacceptable for law enforcement operations that must be reliable in the field.
CatchSystems CatchCAM cameras run the full AI recognition pipeline directly inside the camera hardware. The result is instant output, reduced bandwidth requirements, and a system that continues working even when the network doesn't.
See our camerasNo round-trip to a server. Results are available the instant the plate is captured — sub-50ms from frame to output.
No network required. Mobile patrol vehicles operate in areas with no coverage and still capture every plate — data syncs when connectivity returns.
Video never leaves the camera. Only the resulting plate text is transmitted — significantly reducing data minimisation obligations under GDPR.
No video processing servers to licence or maintain. Each camera is self-contained — scale the deployment without adding central processing capacity.
Licence plates use retroreflective material that returns light directly to its source. IR illumination exploits this to produce consistently high-contrast plate images in any ambient light — bright sun, total darkness, rain, or fog.
Produces a faint red glow visible at close range. Delivers maximum illumination intensity for high-speed capture — the preferred choice for open patrol use where camera visibility is not a concern. Used in the CatchCAM 2MP.
Emits no visible light whatsoever. Required for covert operations where the camera must remain undetected — used in the CatchCAM Modular for undercover patrol vehicles and fixed covert surveillance positions.
Independently validated performance figures, engineered for the most demanding real-world law enforcement conditions.
CatchSystems cameras are built to open standards so they integrate seamlessly into any existing or future law enforcement infrastructure.
The open industry standard for IP-based physical security products. ONVIF Profile M certification ensures CatchCAM cameras integrate out-of-the-box with any ONVIF-compliant VMS, NVR, or third-party ANPR platform.
The UK/EU Urban Traffic Management and Control standard. Native UTMC support provides instant compatibility with national traffic management infrastructure and police back-office systems across Europe.
CatchSystems holds KIWA ISO 9001 certification — the international standard for quality management systems — guaranteeing consistent product quality and reliable processes at every stage of design, manufacturing, and support.
On-board AI processing means sensitive video never leaves the camera. Only plate text data is transmitted — significantly reducing data minimisation obligations under GDPR and equivalent data protection legislation.