How It’s Made

Vlad Ghost Plates are crafted using advanced atomic-level techniques and nano-structured surface treatments applied to a high-strength polycarbonate core. Once treated, this surface is bonded with a dual-sided acrylic adhesive layer, allowing it to securely attach to your number plate.

The secret lies in the manipulation of light through constructive and destructive interference, enabling Vlad Ghost Plates to reflect infrared light while remaining invisible to the naked eye. The exact manufacturing process remains confidential, but the plates are proudly produced in the UK—and draw inspiration from technology currently used on the British Army’s Challenger Main Battle Tank.

Infrared technology is commonly used in automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems for several reasons: it's unaffected by glare from headlights, allows for high-contrast illumination without blinding drivers, and performs well in poor weather conditions like fog or rain. While many products on the market make exaggerated promises, Vlad Ghost Plates operate within the boundaries of physics—acting as an infrared mirror while staying fully transparent in visible light.

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The Basics: What Is Infrared Light?

Light is energy that travels in waves, each defined by its wavelength (measured in nanometres or nm). The visible spectrum, what your eyes can detect, spans roughly 400–700nm. Anything above 700nm is infrared—invisible to us but not to digital cameras.

The Human Eye vs. the Digital Camera

Your eyes evolved to see the part of the spectrum where the Sun emits the most energy—visible light. But digital cameras, especially those using silicon chip sensors (like CMOS or CCD), can see a much broader range: from ultraviolet (under 400nm) all the way up to 1100nm, well into the infrared.

To make these cameras simulate human vision (i.e., capture color images), manufacturers have to filter out everything outside the visible spectrum. But if you remove that filter, the camera becomes an infrared sensor—and that’s where things get useful for ANPR.

Why Infrared is Better for Capturing Number Plates

Let’s break down the key advantages of using IR for number plate recognition:

1. No Glare, No Distraction
   Infrared light can flood a scene with brightness without affecting drivers, since it’s invisible to the human eye. That means better visibility for the camera without blinding anyone.
2. Sharper Images at High Speeds
   High-speed movement (like a car passing at 60mph) can cause blurring in visible light due to a phenomenon called aliasing. IR imaging reduces that blur, giving a clearer capture of fast-moving plates.
3. Better Reflectivity
   Number plates tend to reflect more light in the IR spectrum, helping return a brighter, more defined image to the camera sensor.
4. More Resilient in Bad Weather
   IR light penetrates fog, rain, and mist more effectively than visible light. That means consistent image quality in poor weather conditions—essential for roadside or highway surveillance.
5. Superior Night Vision
   At night, IR illumination allows cameras to continue capturing high-contrast images without the need for harsh, visible floodlights. It’s stealthy, efficient, and incredibly effective.

How It All Comes Together

An infrared ANPR camera system typically includes:

• A chip sensor with the IR-pass filter (to block out visible light).
• A powerful IR LED floodlight (often around 830–870nm) to illuminate the scene.
• Software (ANPR algorithms) that processes those crisp IR images to extract your plate number.

When all of this is tuned properly, the result is precise, high-resolution number plate images, even in the dark, rain, or at high speeds. It’s not just preference—it’s physics. And no visible-light camera setup can match it.

Bottom Line?

Infrared will always be the gold standard for ANPR imaging. The science behind it isn’t going to change. The benefits—clarity, consistency, and performance in all conditions—are why traffic enforcement and surveillance systems rely on IR.

Still curious? Want to dig deeper into filters, floodlights, or camera chips? Feel free to reach out and ask—we’re happy to get geeky with you.
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‍Technology

Infrared light plays a crucial role in modern military tech—night vision systems, advanced gunsights, head-up displays in fighter jets, laser-guided targeting, and even directed energy weapons all rely on it.

Now, for the first time, that same high-level infrared manipulation has been adapted for civilian use. Vlad Ghost Plates bring this military-grade technology to the automotive world, helping shield your number plate from being captured by unauthorized infrared surveillance systems.

From a technical standpoint, Vlad Ghost Plates use what's known as a thin-film dielectric dichroic coating—a sophisticated multi-layered optical material engineered to reflect specific wavelengths (like infrared) while remaining transparent to others.

Curious about the science? Feel free to reach out—we’re happy to explain the details behind the tech.

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