AI-driven SenFORCE set to replace outdated LPR in city streets

SenSen Networks is encouraging city councils and urban policymakers to reconsider the continued use of traditional license plate recognition (LPR) systems amid growing challenges in urban enforcement environments.

As urban areas evolve, enforcement becomes more complicated, with outdated, one-dimensional LPR approaches struggling to cope with the changing landscape. These legacy systems, which use simple optical character recognition (OCR) technology, increasingly demonstrate limitations that can lead to operational inefficiencies and errors.

Technological shift

Professor Subhash Challa, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of SenSen Networks, addressed these issues directly. He said, "Legacy LPR still treats every situation as the same, capture plate, location but we've reached a point where enforcement technology has to match the complexity of our streets."

"SenFORCE represents a shift from enforcement to intelligence - delivering real-time curbside intelligence built for modern cities."

SenFORCE, the company's artificial intelligence-driven enforcement platform, has been developed to better reflect the complex and fast-changing dynamics of today's urban environments.

Features of context-aware enforcement

The company states that SenFORCE offers functionalities beyond conventional LPR technologies, such as multi-perspective digital evidence, real-time violation detection that considers parking signs and surrounding context, and cloud-based workflows with time-stamped video evidence. The platform enables environmental mapping in areas with limited GPS, aiming to reduce location-based disputes.

The platform is described as capable of providing evidence that addresses legal standards, featuring driver presence checks, privacy masking, and comprehensive contextual documentation. These capabilities, according to SenSen, are intended to give enforcement officers the necessary clarity in determining the nature of an incident and to strengthen confidence in enforcement decisions.

Challenges with legacy systems

SenSen points to a number of shortcomings with older LPR systems, noting operational inefficiencies that may overwhelm officers and present safety risks. The technology often misses violations, leading to irregular enforcement, produces increased rates of false positives, and can fail to provide supportive evidence that holds in legal proceedings.

The company highlights the practical impacts for cities, including the risk of public dissatisfaction, potential revenue loss for councils, and greater legal liabilities due to inaccurate enforcement action.

SenFORCE is promoted as a platform capable of clarifying enforcement scenarios, including distinguishing between vehicle breakdowns and actual violations, confirming disability permit status, and verifying whether parking windows have expired or vehicles are parked legally. The intent is to provide robust documentation that reduces errors and builds public trust in enforcement.

A focus on understanding

Nathan Rogers, Director of Smart City Solutions at SenSen, addressed the broader need for a more nuanced approach. He said, "We're not here to play catch-up with the past. Legacy systems can't keep up with cities where the rules, and the context around those rules, change every day. If we want to improve compliance and public trust, we need technology that doesn't just see, but understands."

As cities adopt more context-aware enforcement platforms, early results indicate improvements in enforcement accuracy, reduced false positives, enhanced officer safety, and stronger legal standing for evidence.

Rogers further commented on the requirements for contemporary city enforcement tools, adding, "Too many systems still operate like it's 2015 with an inability to interpret dynamic zones. SenFORCE is purpose-built for today's cities, where curbside rules change by the minute and context is key."

Ongoing discussion

SenSen Networks recently shared insights into the future of urban mobility enforcement through a webinar, examining the application of AI-powered LPR, the integration of contextual factors such as signage, permits, location, and timing, and approaches taken by local councils to enhance safety and build public trust.