Tag Archives for: Quercus

Quercus Technologies celebrates its 25th anniversary

April 10, 2024

 

Quercus Technologies celebrates its 25th anniversary

 

 

A quarter-century bringing innovation to parking technology

 

 

 

Quercus Technologies, world leader in technological solutions for monitoring and management of parking facilities, is proud toannounce its 25th anniversary. Throughout its history, Quercus has worked at the forefront of innovation in the parking industry, providing smart, efficient solutions that have transformed the entire parking experience.

Since its establishment in 1999, Quercus has been dedicated to developing state-of-the-art technology to meet a vast range of management challenges in parking facilities around the world. With a unique combination of precision engineering, advanced software and an in-depth understanding of customer needs, Quercus has set the standards for excellence in the parking businesssector.

The celebration of Quercus Technologies’ anniversary is a major landmark that stands for the company’s commitment to excellence, innovation and customer service. It is worth noting that our equipment has been working for some time with artificial intelligence developed in-house. This integration has enabled us to offer even more sophisticated and adaptive solutions, designed to increaseefficiency, security and convenience for millions of drivers and facility operators.

We’re also taking this opportunity to announce that throughout 2024, we will be holding several events in collaboration with our staff to mark the company’s 25 years. These celebrations will consist of diverse activities, all designed as opportunities to reflect on ourfuture goals, and strengthen our bonds as a team.

On another note, we would never miss the opportunity to celebrate this special landmark with our customers and partners at theIntertraffic Amsterdam trade fair. It will be a perfect occasion to express our appreciation for their constant support and trust overthe years.

Last, we want to show our sincere gratitude to all of those who have made our achievements possible. Their dedication andcommitment have been fundamental to our success. Their support has helped us to constantly improve and evolve, putting us on apath we hope to follow for many years to come.

Contact: marketing@quercus-technologies.com

Quercus Technologies: Artificial Intelligence takes control of the new SmartLPR – QAI Inside!

February 08, 2024

 

Artificial Intelligence takes control of the new SmartLPR: QAI Inside!

 

The best LPR ever created New%20version%2C%20new%20name_SmartLPR

Quercus Technologies, a forerunner in All-In-One license plate recognition cameras, is proud to announce the launch of its latest innovation, the new version of the SmartLPR system. This advanced license plate recognition system redefines industry standards, introducing novel key features that will mark a new era in vehicle recognition, while maintaining the essential characteristics for which Quercus was the first to market.

With the latest version, we’ve not only made significant improvements to the product, we’ve also changed the name of our cameras, from SmartLPR Access to SmartLPR. The change comes as a result of our decision to go back to the roots of Quercus, consolidating our identity and highlighting the constant evolution of our LPR technology. This new name also represents our determination to lead in the field of artificial intelligence applied to license plate recognition systems.

QAI_greyQuercus is consolidating its role as a forerunner by incorporating its internally-developed Artificial Intelligence technology into the core of its products: QAI Inside! The main innovation is based on the use of artificial intelligence algorithms to detect and recognize license plates (OCR).

With the latest evolution of our technology and integration of artificial intelligence, we’ve also made major improvements to the Free-flow operation mode. These optimizations are taking the camera’s reliability rate to new levels, truly enabling ticketless and barrierless systems to work perfectly. In fact, we now quantify faults in terms of incorrect license numbers per thousand read, instead of one hundred, as had been the practice until now. The combination of advanced license plate recognition capacity and the power of our artificial intelligence has boosted the accuracy and reliability of our system, contributing to more efficient all-around parking management.

SmartLPR_ai

Our system now has the capacity to simultaneously read plates from an unlimited number of countries, doing away with the need to previously specify which ones it should be able to read. This advancement is a landmark, as it makes the system more flexible, and expedites its configuration.

The main goal has always been the same, simplify the experience for operators and enhance that of users. At the heart of this mission is a solid foundation of internal research and development. Our highly specialized team doesn’t just follow technological evolution: they drive it. Constant research, exploration of new frontiers, and the improvement of existing solutions are essential ingredients that define our commitment to ongoing development.

IMAGE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

Another major advancement is the taking of better-quality images, with higher levels of definition and sharpness. Compared to prior versions, images are now seen with exceptional clarity and a more attractive overall look for operators’ visual perception. Enhanced quality and brightness play a crucial role in creating more vivid, user-friendly images.

QUERCUS FIRST

Throughout the years, we have been pioneers when it comes to launching different solutions that set the pace for the industry, a sign of our undying dedication to innovating. Quercus First (QF) reflects our ongoing commitment to leading with a visionary, even revolutionary, approach.

  • Worldwide Use: With recognition in over 200 countries, this advanced license plate recognition camera redefines geographic limits. With the same model, the Smart LPR enables successful implementation in a wide range of settings and conditions, ensuring efficient, accurate responses at the international level.
  • Wide Angle Recognition: Optimal license plate recognition at hard-to-read angles.
  • Dual Lamp – Color and IR reading inside the unit. The camera ensures exceptional performance even in dim conditions, for any type of license plate (reflective and non-reflective, in color or black and white).
  • Motorized Lens: The motorized lens provides exceptional agility and unbeatable accuracy, ensuring optimal image capture in diverse conditions.
  • HRR: The SmartLPR cameras can integrate two license plate recognition units per lane, for double license plate reading. This system, based on an artificial vision algorithm, is called HRR, (High Reliability Recognition). It is a parking system that combines all the characters and digits of the front as well as the rear license plates, enabling complete recognition of the license plate number.
  • IP67: The IP67 Certification guarantees optimal performance, even in challenging weather conditions, or in cases of high levels of dust generated inside the parking facility itself. This ensures the integrity of the system and fault-free operation.

With the SmartLPR License Plate Reader, Quercus Technologies reasserts its position as a leader at the cutting edge of technology, getting the most from the power of AI to offer new license plate recognition solutions. The new era in parking technology marks another example of Quercus’ ongoing responsibility toward constant improvement and meeting the changing needs of its customers around the world.

LPR

QUERCUS TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDS OUT ITS OUTDOOR GUIDANCE SYSTEM WITH AN INFORMATION TOTEM

November 22, 2022

 

QUERCUS TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDS OUT ITS OUTDOOR GUIDANCE SYSTEM WITH AN INFORMATION TOTEM

 

 

 

To make its offering in guidance solutions even more comprehensive, Quercus Technologies is launching its outdoor digital information Totem. The Totem informs users entering and driving through an outdoor parking lot on the availability of parking spaces on the main and secondary aisleways, and restricted areas, and the direction to take to reach them, in real time. This is a major step forward to streamline mobility and automate the parking facility.

The information signage that can be achieved with the Totem is especially designed for outdoor or rooftop parking facilities, where parking guidance systems are needed that help improve the parking process and maximize occupation of the available space. One of the most common complaints that parking users make about the facilities is the lack of directional signposting at key points of the lot or garage. Digital signage brings much more from a guidance perspective than directions painted on the floor or on columns which, in fact, are easy for drivers to overlook. The signaling achieved with equipment like the Totem can be set at the height of drivers’ eyes. It is a catalyst for increased visibility by the user and with it, a better overall parking experience.

The Totem shows the number of available spaces and the direction to
take to locate them in real time. It is a visual guide that offers directions
to drivers accessing the parking facility, which makes it much easier and
convenient to find a parking space in record time. The SC Outdoor system sends all of the information on parking space availability to the Quercus Technologies parking software platform, where the data gathered are processed and transformed into useful information shown by the Totem in real time. This management system centralizes and inter-relates the information gathered by all of the products that make up the comprehensive parking solution, to have a complete, and much more accurate control over the parking lot.

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A Totem’s added value lies in its interoperability with the rest of the products that make up the outdoor parking solution through the BirdWatch software platform. The perfect combination of SC Outdoor cameras, matrix LED panels and now, the Totem, all adds up to increased satisfaction of parking facility users, by cutting down on congestion and raising vehicle rotation rates inside the parking facility. It should also be noted that the outdoor guidance system dovetails with the equivalent indoor system in the case of mixed parking garages.

The different functionalities of BirdWatch, along with this new device for outdoor use, enables the generation of reports that identify parking usage patterns, and with them, continued work on improvements that raise profitability, achieve efficient parking management and added security on the premises where they are deployed.

| How does the outdoor guidance system improve with a Totem?

  • Space occupation notification for parking lot operators and users.
  • Display of data in real time.
  • It can be combined with other types of signage already being used in the parking facility.
  • Promotes dynamic parking space searches.
  • Designed to be high performance, and high-visibility, in outdoor use scenarios.
  • Indication of available spaces with 2 digits and colors (green, orange or red). Colors will change depending on the availability of parking spaces.
  • Designed specifically for outdoor and rooftop parking facilities.
  • Compatibility around the world (according to the regulations of each country).Installation of a Totem meets one of the key requirements for optimal parking operation and management. Digital signposting empowers parking facility operators to show their essential information at key points such as entrances, or at intersections. Totem technology is suited to any outdoor parking area, and can either be installed at the center of the lot or to one side of the sidewalk.

  

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| Models

  • Totem with 1 or 2 displays (occupancy of two-way lanes).
  • 4 versions of the Totem: Arrow to the left, to the right, in both directions or without arrows.| Technical highlights

Size (width x length x height)

35 x 35 x 195 cm / 13.77 x 13.77 x 76.77 in

Weight

35 kg / 77.16 lb (1 display) / 38 kg / 83.77 lb (2 displays)

Material

Internal structure of zinc-coated iron. Aluminum casing and protective covers.

Color

White (RAL 9016 Traffic white) / Anthracite (textured anthracite gray RAL 7016)

Protection Level

IP65 (water, dust and contact-resistant)

Power supply

100-240 Vac 50/60 Hz

Number of digits

2

Digit height

117 mm / 4.6 in

Digit color

Green, orange or red

Signaling arrow

Reflective paint (UV protection) on the front frame

Communication

LoRa (wireless communication system)

Press Release:

https://www.quercus-technologies.com/news/quercus-technologies-rounds-out-its-outdoor-guid ance-system-with-an-information-totem

Product: https://www.quercus-technologies.com/solutions/totem

Contact: marketing@quercus.biz

Brazilian shopping center Trimais Places benefits from the intelligent parking guidance system provided by Quercus Technologies

October 23, 2020

 

 

 

 

Brazilian shopping center Trimais Places benefits from the intelligent parking guidance system provided by Quercus Technologies

 

 

Quercus Technologies provides the solution in the field of intelligent parking that the shopping center Trimais Places needed to cover its needs for control and surveillance in their parking area. This Brazilian shopping center has a total of 150 stores intended to serve the public, and it is a building that has a natural landscape in its leisure and social areas with a very powerful visual appeal. Every day, more than 50,000 vehicles circulate near this distinguished shopping center and therefore it was essential to optimize the efficiency of its facilities and obtain greater customer satisfaction with the parking system presented by Quercus Technologies. 

Now the 1,749 parking spots that make up the car park of this complex located in São Paulo are monitored and controlled thanks to the guidance system provided by Quercus Technologies.  Currently, the facilities benefit from the monitoring and control offered by the sensors and from the location of the vehicles in the car park, thanks to the license plate recognition in each parking space. A total of 504 Spot Control sensors were installed, which provides maximum security and contributes to a more precise control of the vehicles in the car park.

 

 

 

In the external areas of the shopping center, Quercus has included the LPR Area external guidance system: the ideal addition to achieve a good guidance and monitoring system outside the premises. This external system makes it possible to locate vehicles at the entry and exit points of the car park through license plate recognition, thus guiding them to the external areas of the building.

Thanks to the 48 LED interior sign panels, which are installed in the different parking areas, users can find out the exact number of spots available on each floor of the car park as soon as they enter. This way, you can find the nearest free space in record time. This good parking management and the precise guidance of vehicles to the parking lot result in users reducing the time spent looking for a parking spot, and therefore also reduce the CO2 emissions created by the vehicles.

 

 

The 14 SmartLPR Access cameras installed at the entries and exits of the premises are designed to facilitate mobility and security within the car parks and access control areas. They are responsible for recognizing the license plates of cars entering and leaving the premises. In addition, license plate recognition helps to increase security in the car park by detecting attempts to gain fraudulent access to the premises or vehicle theft. This system provides many benefits for users, as they can have all the information about their vehicle at all times and book in advance with their registration number.

 

The Quercus Technologies camera-based guidance system not only makes it possible to enhance security and mobility in the various areas of the car park, but also generates valuable data on a powerful software platform. One of the essential features of Quercus Technologies’ global solution is the ability to integrate with security cameras of third parties and other suppliers in order to increase control over the entire facility. This allows car park operators to have the capacity to store as much information as possible on the use of the facilities, thus achieving a much more efficient management for their business and obtaining an important improvement in the user’s own experience.

 

 

 

99.7% accuracy and many other benefits with Quercus Technologies’ camera-based parking guidance system at Children’s Health in Dallas, Texas

April 06, 2020

 

 

 

 

99.7% accuracy and many other benefits with Quercus Technologies’ camera-based parking guidance system at Children’s Health in Dallas, Texas

 

 

 

Considering the increase of urban population and traffic congestion, smart parking is always a strategic issue to work on, not only for the benefit of clients and their communities, but also from the raw benefit-driven point of view of owners and operators. In this path, companies committed to promote innovation of information and communication technology have played a major role. Quercus Technologies, a company with more than 20 years of experience developing and designing its own smart parking products and services, has contributed to change the way drivers experience parking into a more efficient and satisfying manner. Quercus Technologies’ contribution, its products and services, are all developed in-house, offering a comprehensive Parking Guidance System with powerful technology put on the service of both the operator and the client.

Of course during the last two decades, many different technologies have arisen, and the debate on which should be the most effective of them remains until today. The most popular alternatives to camera-based system are ultrasonics, laser and other similar systems. These are pretty basic. Their capability is simple, they can detect if a vehicle is parked on a space or not, and they are only capable of monitoring one space at a time. Unlike camera-based guidance systems, they are not able of getting any information of the parked cars. They do not read the plate number of the vehicles they detect, so they cannot tell if the detected vehicle is the same or a different one. They cannot inform the client of the whereabouts of their vehicle when they need to find it to leave the premises. They have no information about the journey of the vehicle on the parking lot so they cannot process such information. They can only give a yes or no answer to the question ‘is this space free?’. And nothing else.

How is it then, that some clients still dismiss camera-based systems? Well, some say alternative technologies are very reliable, their detection accuracy being better than the rest. While this was once the case, is it still so? Quercus Technologies, a company understanding the importance of proof to build solid foundations for future growth, has always relied on performing tests in order to lend weight to their arguments. For that reason Quercus Technologies recently performed a test to check the vehicle detection accuracy of their camera-based system, the Spot Control sensor, on the flagship Dallas Campus of Children’s Health. Texas-based NextGen Parking in collaboration with Quercus Technologies installed 990 Spot Control sensors in the premises, monitoring 3,314 spaces on 19 total parking levels (3 garages). The result obtained was an extraordinary 99.7%, a result that can easily compete with those of ultrasonic sensors.

Some others say it is because of the price of the products. Yes, it is well-known camera-based products are slightly more expensive than ultrasonic sensors and others, at least at first glance. Once you get to the installation things change quite a bit: performing an ultrasonic installation may be more expensive since sensors must be installed in each space, while camera-based sensors cover multiple spaces, resulting in a similar price of both technologies.

In comparison to ultrasonic or laser systems, Quercus Technologies’ guidance system is a comprehensive solution to every need a parking operator may have. In addition to guiding vehicles to free spaces, it offers control and surveillance in every park space, thanks to the use of LPR-technology and detailed event recording. The Spot Control sensor recognizes the license plate in every space, every unit controlling up to 4 spaces each and offering total control of the vehicle at all times. Meanwhile, video recording is triggered in the case of any event, avoiding not only robberies and assaults but also false claims for damages.

 

They inform about different kinds of spaces: for VIPs, people with disabilities, families, etc. They link every event they register to a license plate, returning all related information linked to that plate thanks to its powerful software suite and providing a comprehensive vision of everything happening in the parking lot any time. They provide organized, meaningful data, whenever it is requested by the operator, in order to optimize the parking management and marketing campaigns.

In conclusion, Quercus Technologies’ customers get every functionality without sacrificing efficiency. All camera-based system implies numerous benefits that are compatible with an extremely high detection rate and accuracy.

For more information please contact:
Marketing Department
marketing@quercus.biz

 

Quercus: High Reliability Recognition of SmartLPR Access cameras

June 19, 2019

 

 

 

Quercus: High Reliability Recognition of SmartLPR Access cameras

 

 

 

When people think high tech, the parking industry is not always their next thought. The latest innovations in mobile and energy saving technologies have been changing the industry, however, for a few years now. These changes have been helping car parks and garage owners stay profitable in a time where costs and societal changes are putting pressure on their finances. The cost of operating parking structures has increased, and an anticipated trend of fewer cars on the road thanks to automated vehicles and convenient ride share services may reduce revenues.

Parking facilities can improve their numbers in spite thereof, by offering convenience to their clients. New smartphone apps allow clients to book their parking spot online. More intelligent displays help clients move around the parking and find a free spot easily. Image recognition technologies are making clients feel relaxed about their own safety and knowing their vehicles are safer than ever… Parking clients cannot be happier, parking facilities are becoming more and more user-friendly. But convenience means nothing without efficiency, and efficiency, in terms of parking, means LPR-technology.

License Plate Recognitiontechnology has also developed enormously during the past few years. It improves the user’s experienceand guarantees an impressive detection rate. At Quercus Technologies we are specialists in license plate recognition and computer-vision technologies. Our last product, SmartLPR Accessintegrates in one device all that is needed to provide the highest reliability all over the world, without sacrificing comfort: all configuration can be made on the web and the lens can be adjusted remotely, making the unit setup easy, accessible and automatized.

In fact, SmartLPR Access functions thanks to a computer system that controls entry and exit movements of the vehicles through highly accurate license plate recognition. This system is called Car Access capability and it is included in our BirdWatch Smart Parking Suite. With all this information, Car Access allows for a better control of the access lanes. Our powerful OCR and holistic computer vision algorithms can manage country-specific features recognizing both Latin and Arabic alphabets; states and numbers like in American or Mexican plates or colour-coded plates such as Qatari or EAU plates. The algorithms developed by Quercus are constantly updated in order to obtain highly reliable recognition for license plates worldwide.

The latest innovation of Quercus is HHR – High Reliability Recognition. Two SmartLPR Access cameras are installed on the same lane in order to get a “double reading” of the license plate. A camera captures the front plate while a second one reads the rear plate. Combining both captures, the reliability rate increases. The front plate is usually more difficult to read because of the dirt, the weather, temperature changes or the effect of salt used to melt the snow that can damage the plate. Comparing the front plate with the rear plate makes much easier the identification of the vehicle.

HHR combines convenience with efficacy. Its reliability reaches much more than 99% in the majority of countries, allowing a comforting experience for the client without the hassle of paper tickets and the congestion they may cause, while reducing administrative expenses and maintenance costs, therefore increasing revenue for operators.

 

quercus-technologies.com

For more information please contact:
Marketing Department
marketing@quercus.biz

SmartLPR Access NA by Quercus flies up to Providence Place shopping mall

March 15, 2017

SmartLPR Access NA by Quercus flies up to Providence Place shopping mall

 

 

 

Quercus Technologies has had a good start in 2017. New parking projects around the world are already working with our license plate recognition units and many upcoming projects are in the horizon for this year.

 

Providence Place shopping mall in Rhode Island (US) has upgraded its parking facilities in a modernization plan that required an investment of up to 20 million dollars. The new modernized parking garages include high tech features that are meant to help drivers get in and out of the  facilities easier than ever before   and guarantee them a pleasant, hassle-free journey.

 

Check out the news (https://youtu.be/9IQRNqbuo1M) broadcasted on a US channel to find out more about the modernization works at Providence Place mall and to see our SmartLPR Access NA in action!

 

 

SmartLPR Access NA units for license plate recognition manufactured by Quercus are placed at the entries/exits of the parking garage, allowing vehicle access based on license plate information. The license plate captured is stored in the system and will be used later to compare it with the license plate of the vehicle at exit. SmartLPR Access NA provides high license plate recognition rates even for complex plates as the ones in the US. Intelligent algorithms are able to recognize the wide variety of plates present in the US parking market such as vanity plates, plates with two lines of characters, plates that require both number and state recognition.

 

 About Quercus Technologies: 

 

Quercus Technologies manufactures advanced detection solutions that improve mobility and security in parking facilities and is worldwide known for its highly reliable license plate recognition (LPR) technology. Quercus solutions include All- in-one LPR units, parking guidance and LPR-based spot monitoring units, videorecording units, NVRs, and the innovative software Parking Suite, BirdWatch, that relies on all these smart technologies and provides total control of car parks.

 

Quercus ANPR cameras make it to the news on KARK NBC 4 channel in the US

August 24, 2016

Quercus ANPR cameras make it to the news on KARK NBC 4 channel in the US

 

 

Quercus Technologies continues its worldwide expansion with new installations in the US market. With license plates recognition units already installed in important parking facilities in Florida, Manhattan, Chicago, Illinois, Wisconsin, Quercus is becoming a more and more important player. SmartLPR® Access made by Quercus Technologies arrives in Arkansas to make drivers’ life easier at Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.

 

 

The installation of Quercus license plate recognition cameras is part of a larger program designed to upgrade the parking facilities of the airport, ensuring extra security and convenience for both car park operators and drivers. One of the main advantages given by SmartLPR® Access is that the cameras take a picture of the license plate of the vehicle arriving at the airport and register it into the system along with the exact time of the entry. When leaving the parking facilities, if drivers do not have the ticket, they can simply search their license plate in the system and information related to their stay in the parking lot is immediately retrieved. By accurately identifying the number plate and the entry time of the vehicle, drivers can be correctly charged for their stay.

“This new parking installation at Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas is part of a wider very good feedback Quercus has been receiving in the US market”, says Albert Górriz, US General Manager at Quercus. “Our license plate recognition cameras are prepared for feeding accurate data to high end applications meant to automate and modernize the way parking facilities control and manage vehicle access”, adds Mr. Górriz.

Data provided by SmartLPR® Access cameras can be further used in other smart applications that allow for online reservation of the parking spot at airports, prevention of ticket exchange, search of lost tickets and many others.

Check out the news on KARK 4 channel, Arkansas and find out more http://goo.gl/wHAJ8h

About the company

Quercus Technologies manufactures and markets smart vehicle detection units based on advanced computer vision algorithms, which aim at improving mobility and security in parking facilities. Quercus solutions combine our long-experience and know-how in license plate recognition and other computer vision based technologies for smart vehicle detection.