Raytec Illuminators Provide LPR for Colombian Police Cars

  • Feb 03, 2015

Raytec illuminators have been put to an exciting use by the police force of Bogota, Colombia. With a growing need for accurate, reliable and mobile licence plate capture to combat speeding in areas with no fixed monitoring, Bogota police cars were outfitted with licence plate cameras from IndigoVision, and VARIO Infra-Red illuminators from Raytec.

A mobile and highly flexible solution was essential. But achieving proper illumination was also a hurdle, as high quality lighting is mandatory to allow licence plate cameras to perform at their maximum proficiency 24 hours a day. The hardware, designed to mount on the top of patrol cars, was designed by Bogota based integrator EGC who made the decision to use Raytec illuminators. After testing was carried out to compare different manufacturers, the build quality and overall performance superiority of the Raytec illuminators established the Raytec VARIO i4 as the illuminator of choice.

“Night time testing was crucial for the customer,” Jefferson Valencia, EGC, explained. “The performance of the VARIO i4 was excellent and it delivered clear illumination to allow us to effectively capture licence plates in darkness. After trialing models from other manufacturers, we quickly assessed that Raytec was the only choice.”

The design allowed for the lights and LPR cameras to be integrated on top of the vehicle, allowing the cameras to get a perfect, illuminated shot of any plate. Raytec’s VARIO i4 units are equipped with holographic lensing with hot-spot reduction technology (HRT) providing a highly targeted and even light distribution for superior image quality and greater distances.

All VARIO illuminators can also be powered from any 12-24V battery, making them perfect for this mobile application. In addition, VARIO’s interchangeable lens system provided the flexibility needed to adjust the output angle of illumination whenever required to suit any scene; by simply slotting a different lens into the unit. Not possible with traditional fixed angle illuminators.

Having developed many bespoke CCTV solutions for the Colombian government, EGC recognized that the police force were facing the challenge of needing high quality and reliable mobile LPR illumination almost daily and have delivered a solution that the end user is delighted with. While the project started in the city of Bogota, the implementation of this Raytec lighting and LPR integration has been planned across Colombia.

Featured

  • Security Today Announces 2025 CyberSecured Award Winners

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 CyberSecured Awards winners. Sixteen companies are being recognized this year for their network products and other cybersecurity initiatives that secure our world today. Read Now

  • Empowering and Securing a Mobile Workforce

    What happens when technology lets you work anywhere – but exposes you to security threats everywhere? This is the reality of modern work. No longer tethered to desks, work happens everywhere – in the office, from home, on the road, and in countless locations in between. Read Now

  • TSA Introduces New $45 Fee Option for Travelers Without REAL ID Starting February 1

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026. Read Now

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.