Intelligent Infrared Lighting Platform for Smart Transportation and Machine Vision

ODAK R&D has developed a scalable infrared (IR) LED illumination platform designed for demanding machine-vision, intelligent transportation and security applications, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR/ALPR), traffic monitoring, vehicle detection, speed enforcement and AI-based video analytics.

The platform is offered through two product families, ANTARES and BETELGEUSE. Although their external mechanical and visual designs are different, both families are based on the same core infrared illumination technology and provide essentially the same optical, electronic and functional capabilities. The main product-family differentiation is application-oriented mechanical design, while ANTARES additionally offers a 24 V DC option and a wider range of power configurations.

A key strength of the ODAK ARGE platform is its scalable power range starting from 21 W and extending up to 150 W, enabling the optimum solution to be selected according to camera characteristics, detection distance, road geometry, field of view and operational requirements.

This allows the same technological platform to address a wide range of applications, from compact urban installations to long-range highway and critical-infrastructure deployments.

The systems provide controlled 850 nm/940nm infrared illumination, with different optical distributions available to match specific imaging requirements.

According to the customer requirements we also provide additional circuit work with camera-synchronised and externally triggered pulsed operation systems. This allows infrared energy to be delivered precisely when required by the imaging system. With mentioned circuits, system can significantly reduce unnecessary energy consumption compared with continuously operated illumination while supporting reliable nighttime image acquisition.

The proposed innovation goes beyond the development of an individual infrared luminaire. ODAK R&D aims to transform IR illumination into an intelligent, adaptive and digitally connected infrastructure component. By integrating IR illumination with cameras, traffic sensors, edge computing and AI-based analytics, the system can dynamically determine when and how much illumination is required according to real-time traffic and imaging conditions.

The platform can therefore support a transition from fixed and continuously operated infrared lighting towards demand-driven machine-vision illumination. This approach has the potential to reduce energy consumption, extend equipment lifetime, minimise unnecessary light emissions and improve the reliability of nighttime detection and recognition.

The technology is suitable for highways, urban roads, tunnels, bridges, intersections, border crossings, logistics facilities, mobility hubs and other critical transportation infrastructure.

Future development activities will focus on AI-based adaptive illumination, camera and sensor integration, edge computing, remote monitoring, predictive maintenance and interoperability with Smart City and Intelligent Transport System platforms.

Through European cooperation and real-world pilot deployments, ODAK R&D aims to further validate and scale this technology, contributing to safer, more energy-efficient and digitally connected transportation infrastructure across Europe.

BETELGEUSE Infrared LED Projector 80W/100W/125W/150W - Odak R&D Center

ANTARES Infrared LED Floodlight 150W - Odak R&D Center