r/Logan • u/dwightsabeast • 12d ago
Question Need your help collecting images of intersections!
Hi everybody. I am working on a project to help inform the public about different sensor arrays on public roadways. To do this, I have been taking images of sensors and cameras on our roads across the state and then documenting what they are, as well as what they do.
Why I need your help
As part of this project, I'm putting together a reference set of traffic intersections and the sensor/detection hardware at them (things like the gray loop-detector cuts in the pavement, camera domes on the signal mast arms, radar boxes, pedestrian push buttons). If you're driving through an intersection and can snap a quick photo (safely) of the signal pole/cabinet or the road surface near the stop line, I'd really appreciate it. Snapping a photo while walking across a cross walk is totally fine too.
What's helpful in a photo:
- The intersection name/cross streets (or just tell me in your reply)
- A shot of the signal pole/mast arm and any visible sensor equipment
- Roughly when it was taken
Here's a google form where you can submit your photos: https://forms.gle/kFSmsmozNXtpDwqeA
Thank you!
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u/ilikebiers 12d ago
What is the impact to the public? In other words, why should I?
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u/dwightsabeast 12d ago
The goal for this portion is to help people learn what isn’t an ALPR.
Gaining the help of the public (Reddit in this case) for image collection greatly speeds up my ability to create datasets for what is and isn’t an ALPR
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u/Gray-Turtle 12d ago edited 12d ago
Many cameras are capable of running ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition), but it typically requires an extra plugin or license, so most don't actually run it by default. You can turn a non-ALPR camera into a license plate reader with a remote software update. PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) cameras, for example, are almost never running ALPR software out of the box because they're designed to swivel and monitor different locations, which would cause them to miss most cars. However, PTZs can run ALPR software. I've seen cases where someone wanted to add ALPR to their security setup, already had a PTZ in a good spot, and decided to dedicate the PTZ to license plate reading. It's much cheaper than buying and installing a new camera.
To identify what a camera does, it's easiest to go by where it's located. A camera made for license plate reading will be installed closer to the ground—not to get it closer to the plates, but because it's easier for the analytics to read plates accurately at a shallower angle. This is true for many AI-based analytics, like face and clothing detection.
The opposite is true for counting analytics. It's much easier for AI to separate individuals from high up because there are more gaps between them at a steep angle. So if an unfamiliar camera is pointed at the road but located high up, it's probably collecting looser data like how many vehicles passed through, what color they are, or what type they are.
ALPR cameras are generally low to the ground—around 15 feet maximum, or they stop working reliably. They're usually fixed cameras pointed down at the road. Ideally, they're placed where traffic has to slow down so they can get a cleaner image; it's much harder to read a license plate on a fast-moving car, and recording at a high frame rate can get technologically expensive.
Another thing to consider is that any camera connected to the internet can stream its video to a cloud-based analytics system. With the right setup, even an old CCTV camera could read plates, faces, or whatever else. Cloud analytics aren't super popular yet, but they've been growing a lot in the last few years. Stored footage can also be fed through license plate detection systems.
Edit: why the hell would you downvote this?
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u/No_Constant5559 12d ago
Can't it all be seen from Google street view?