Any individual that has driven through any large metropolitan city during the middle of the day, is all too familiar with the bumper to bumper traffic and jam-packed surface car parks that results in an endless cycle of parking spot roulette. The answer to this lack of parking availability and the frustration it causes are underground parking blocks and covered parking structures, but even those exhibit the problem of not knowing if there is a vacant parking spot before making the rounds. Luckily, there is consistent momentum forward towards solving these problems by the way of smart city planning and real-time parking availability systems. In this article, we will take a look at how these Smart Parking Solution systems are built, what their benefits are, and how parking management systems are changing for businesses looking to get ahead in this space.
How Parking Management Systems Are Changing – Then and Now
Prior to the invention of smart technologies, traditional parking systems were not able to connect to other systems within the environment due to their proprietary software platforms. To put this simply, we just did not have the technology, understanding, or know-how to figure out how to connect these systems together. Nowadays, however, with the advent of smart technologies such as sensors, geospatial technology, the internet of things, artificial intelligence and information and communication technology, we are able to create complex systems that do a wide variety of actions and can interact with other connected systems.
How? Through the exchange of real-time data, data monitoring, and automatic adaption, which gets inferred through analysis and compiled into a conclusion based data sets. Meaning, we can now create systems that are capable of using empirical data and experience to improve performance, anticipate results, create logical reasoning on future actions, and be self-sustainable. Now while this is an extremely massive step forward in our technological capabilities, how does one build this into a parking management system and how is the parking inventory compiled exactly? Let’s explore these avenues next.
How would the Consumer Use a Parking Management System?
Most people know that if they want to get anywhere or find a location anywhere, all they have to do is open up the application store on their smartphone and download an application. This would be the same for parking management systems in major metropolitan cities. A smart parking system would allow the parking operators to maintain real-time parking availability information, which would be provided to car drivers through an integrated application that they download on their phone. Due to how the parking availability system would work, the parking operators would have access to all availability across all parking lots, parking structures, underground parking areas, and garages which would be forwarded to drivers via the application.
How to compile Parking Data?
Generally, there would be two ways that real-time parking availability data would be acquired, either through vehicle movement detection or vehicle video tracking, both of which would use sensors and camera technologies.
– Sensors:
A real-time parking management system that used sensors would have them installed at access and exit points within the designated car parking area. These sensors would track the number of vehicles that would enter into the garage and the number that would exit the structure. If the parking structure has multiple levels, then every parking spot can be filled with sensors in order to provide accurate data on what spots are occupied and what spots are vacant. If street parking is part of the equation, then on-street parking sensors would get embedded into the ground per parking spot.
– Cameras:
A real-time smart parking management system that used cameras would have them installed on every level of the parking structure as these would be what track where vehicles are located and whether a spot is vacant or filled. With this type of system, however, specialized software is needed to accurately identify each parking spot as to whether it is occupied or not. Generally, these cameras would be mounted high up on light poles or on the building’s structural beams.
Now that we have gone over the two ways in which a real-time parking management system would be deployed, let’s take a look at the basic components that would be required to build such a system.
– Parking Management Server:
A parking management server would do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of the monitoring portion of the system. Its job would be to track the parking spot availability, predict the availability in real-time, and manage the metering and billing system. Artificial intelligence would be used to accurately predict parking occupancy throughout the city based on historical data.
– IoT Hardware Platform:
A complex and connected hardware platform based on cameras and sensors would be used to detect whether a vehicle is present or absent from the parking space. Leveraging IoT technology, it would connect to all parking structures in the area and transmit this information back to the server.
– Mobile Application:
This would be a tailor-made Android, iOS or cross-platform application that a consumer would use to find a vacant parking spot. The custom mobile application would show the driver in real-time what parking spots are available, which ones are taken, and would provide a comprehensive and easy to follow instruction on which space they can park in. This type of application may also allow for parking space reservations, automatic billing tracking, and amount of time spent in each parking space.
– Location Based Technology:
Would be integrated into the mobile application used by drivers so that automatic alerts could be beamed out about how many spots are available, which parking lots in the vicinity have available spots, and which parking garages are full.
How Can Your Business Benefit From a Parking Availability System?
A real-time parking availability system opens up your business to an innovative smart technology opportunity, through the use of modern technology such as the cloud and artificial intelligence. This, in turn, allows for dynamic pricing implementation, efficient use of parking space availability, and enhanced customer experience through a seamlessly integrated mobile application.
We can help!!
Let’s Nurture is a top mobile app development company focused on enhancing lives using cutting-edge technology solutions. We have developed IoT based Smart parking solutions using Beacons/ BLE and GPS technology for location detection along with Raspberry Pi hardware for our client in the USA.
Our mobile development team made Smart Parking apps on both native Android and native iOS platforms. With the expertise of in-house Python developers, AI- ML developers, Web developers, and designers; we have provided IoT and AI-based solutions to the retail industry. Our Artificial intelligence- Machine Learning (ML) and Computer Vision expertise enable the offering of best-in-class and unparalleled parking solutions.
Following are a few features we can incorporate to provide a robust and scalable Smart Parking system:
- Map Location with Direct Navigation.
- Advance Booking and Monthly Billing system.
- Cashless payment with mobile wallets and other payment platforms.
- Special facility for differently-abled drivers.
- Slide to Open: The parking slider opens by sliding the door from the mobile application.
Want to get the best consultation for a unique Parking Management System? Let’s Talk!
Jignesh Thanki 