Hikvision India has launched new traffic cameras equipped with DarkFighterX technology to address urban light pollution. These cameras use ultra-low-light video imaging to sense both visible and invisible light, reducing the need for intense flashes and significantly cutting down the number of LEDs required. The incorporation of an LED lattice further minimizes stray light, ensuring that the light intensity remains focused and does not escape beyond the camera’s intended area.
DarkFighterX technology also features deep learning algorithms that enhance image quality by correcting color biases and mitigating headlight halo effects, resulting in more accurate and realistic images. This not only improves traffic violation enforcement efficiency but also reduces the need for high ambient light levels for high-quality imaging in urban settings.
“Hikvision’s innovative traffic cameras have already been successfully deployed in various countries and are well-suited for the Indian environment,” said Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Private Limited. “As global emphasis on sustainable living increases, advanced technologies like Hikvision’s traffic cameras offer immediate solutions to urban light pollution and represent a future trend.”
Urban environments face the challenge of glare from traffic cameras, which, while ensuring road safety, can pose risks to drivers and disrupt the lives of city dwellers. Traffic camera flashes can obstruct drivers’ vision and intrude into homes, affecting sleep patterns and disrupting wildlife behavior. A study in Science Advances indicated that artificial skyglow from outdoor lighting, including traffic cameras, has been increasing at a rate of 2.2% per year.
To combat light pollution, cities like Barcelona, London, Oslo, and San Diego are adopting smart streetlights that dim when not needed and using motion sensors to provide light only when necessary. Shielded lighting is also being used to focus light where required, minimizing spillage.
Traffic cameras, however, need to operate continuously. Solutions include shielding and directed lighting, invisible light sensors, and AI-ISP techniques. Shielding focuses light only on required areas, though it requires significant investment and maintenance. Invisible light sensors allow cameras to capture images without intense flashes, and AI-ISP techniques use deep learning algorithms to enhance images in low-light conditions, reducing the reliance on environmental brightness and supplemental lights.
Hikvision’s DarkFighterX technology addresses these issues, providing a sustainable solution to urban light pollution and setting a future trend for advanced traffic camera systems.
