Reinforced Access Control at EU and UK Governmental Buildings

The Challenge

Whether it’s the Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom or the European Council Headquarters, security is of utmost importance. All it takes is one unauthorized and unchecked car to pass through the barriers, and the consequences could be devastating. For many years, the only solution to check for bombs and other suspicious items under a car was by sticking a mirror underneath the chassis. This slows down the access control process, especially if security isn’t equipped with an efficient monitoring system.

To answer the challenges – a fast and bullet-proof detection of vehicles’ chassis and an efficient access control system – both the Palace of Westminster and the EU Council HQ decided to implement SecureOne‘s UVIScan under vehicle surveillance technology in tandem with Adaptive Recognition’s ANPR cameras and Carmen Freeflow ANPR software engine. 

The Solution

To ensure the fast, prompt, and automated registering and scanning of all entering and exiting vehicles that vehicles, a total of five fixed systems were installed at both locations. Both the UK and the Belgian solutions are identical in every aspect, including components that consist of the UVIScan chassis scanners and control units by SecureOne, and the ANPR equipment developed by Adaptive Recognition.

Thanks to vehicle scanning and license plate recognition technology, the access control process became much faster, easier, and, most importantly, safer. After registering the driver’s face and passing through the barrier, the car triggers the UVIScan unit hidden under the road’s surface via induction loops. At the same time, the induction loops also send a signal to the ANPR camera to capture the car’s license plate. The images are then sent to SecureOne’s access control system, which uses our Carmen® FreeFlow engine to extract the license plate data from the captured pictures. This data is then checked against the existing alert list stored in SecureOne’s system, based on which it either permits the car to enter the premises or blocks its way with an anti-crash barrier.

At the exit, a simpler solution based solely on ANPR technology is used. There, the access control camera is only activated when the car triggers it with induction loops. Since the vehicle’s license plate data and the date of access are already stored in SecureOne’s system – as the driver already entered the parking lot earlier – the system can quickly identify the approaching car and lifts the barrier, allowing its owner to exit the premises.

System Layout

Initially, SecureOne’s solution was supplemented by Adaptive Recognition’s ParkIT cameras that, combined with the accuracy of the industry-leading Carmen® FreeFlow, provided the necessary results the security department of the EU Council HQ was hoping for. However, when the Council HQ decided to opt for a permanent solution after renting the system for six years and being fully satisfied with it, the cameras were changed to AR’s FreewayCAM ANPR devices – similarly to the system already implemented at the Houses of Parliament in the UK.

Although the FreewayCAM cameras were developed for free-flow traffic – particularly on highways – they proved to be an even better choice for SecureOne and its clients due to their versatility. In fact, not only do FreewayCAM cameras have a sturdier, more weatherproof design, but they also provide a much faster response time and excellent image quality, even at high speeds – which comes in handy with speedsters. In addition to that, these cameras can work separately; even if the induction loops are out of order, they can still snap ANPR-ready images thanks to the built-in software triggers.

Towards an Even Safer Future

Since it’s proven to be highly efficient in London and Brussels alike, integrating Adaptive Recognition’s solutions with UVIScan devices will continue to be an unbeatable pairing when it comes to safeguarding highly secured parking lots. In fact, end-users can now enjoy an even better ANPR experience thanks to our latest camera models, Vidar and Einar.

Both cameras continue the Adaptive Recognition tradition of providing excellent ANPR imaging in their unique way. Einar, for instance, is a smart plug-n-play camera with expandable memory and the capability of storing video events, which makes it ideal not only for parking duties but for monitoring slow-moving traffic too. Vidar, on the other hand, is the ace in the deck for any traffic monitoring project, boasting features like the built-in laser trigger, and dual-sensor optics for the simultaneous capturing of license plates and overview pictures.

Vidar and Einar may not be interchangeable, but two things are guaranteed regardless of the chosen camera model: better results and cheaper operation. The built-in non-intrusive triggers can fully replace induction loops, allowing for a faster installation and reduced maintenance costs while being just as effective as their hardware-based counterparts. Specific models are equipped with on-board ANPR, powered by the same Carmen® engine the access control systems of the Houses of Parliament and the EU Council HQ use. This way, the cameras can be hooked up to the already existing or newly established access control system without the need to integrate Carmen®. However, non-ANPR models can always be smartened up later by opting for any version of Carmen or, in Einar’s case, directly upgrading the camera with the on-board ANPR engine.

Know More

To learn more about these projects and whether a similar solution consisting of Carmen, Vidar, or Einar can be adapted to your business needs, get in touch with us here →