Applications of Smart Parking System using IoT
Smart parking is an application of IoT technology for helping drivers find the best parking spots based on their location, budget and time period.
Smart Parking helps drivers find a parking spot near them by using a mobile app.
The mobile app determines if there are any vacant spots available for parking by using the data communicated by the nearest parking lot.
If the nearest parking lot is full, the app checks alternate lots and suggests a parking space to the driver. It can also help the driver navigate to the suggested parking space.
The driver can reserve the parking space till he navigates to it. Smart parking system can also allow users to pay for parking spots using the app.
The user can also be notified when the time slot that he has paid for is going to elapse so that he can take appropriate action.
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Given below is a simple flowchart shows the possible sequence of steps from finding a parking spot to finally pulling out of the parking spot.
To convert existing parking lots into Smart Parking lots, sensors are used to determine which spots in the parking lot are occupied and which are available for parking.
These sensors can be used on the ground for individual parking slots; they can be attached to light poles or surveillance cameras; or they can be as simple as counting the number of cars coming in and out of the gate of the parking lot.
The purpose of these sensors is to collect real-time data about how many spots in the parking lot are occupied and how many are available for parking.
This data is transmitted in real-time to a central database that maintains real time as well as historical data. Apps use the real-time and historical data to help customers find the best parking spot as per their requirement.
Smart parking also helps the parking lot owners to improve their occupancy rates as they know exactly how many spots are available in their lot for parking and where those spots are located in the lot.
This allows them to try and fill all the spots which was not possible earlier just by visual assessment in a large parking lot.
Here are some of the Smart Parking solutions (smart car parking system using IoT ) currently available around the world:
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Smart Parking Limited
Smart Parking Limited is based in Australia and provides smart parking solutions around the world. It provides a mobile app to find and navigate to the parking spot and provide billing information.
It uses infrared and magnetic sensors to detect vehicle occupancy. There is a central database to collect information for better planning and decisions.
It also uses RFID tags in the vehicle which are matched with the ground parking sensor to enforce designated parking spots like disabled parking or employee only parking.
It has implemented smart parking solutions in multiple cities in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
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Seimens Intelligent Parking Solutions
Seimens intelligent parking solutions use overhead sensors and ground sensors to detect parking spots and illegal parking.
It can learn based on historical data to predict whether parking will be available at a particular time in the day.
It uses microwave sensors to increase accuracy as they are not affected by lighting, dust or oil in their surroundings. This smart car parking solution has been implemented in Berlin.
Some other Smart Parking solution providers are Cisco Kinetic for cities parking and Parkeagle.
In India, Chandigarh is the first city to start implementing Smart Parking system using IoT by giving the smart parking contract to Arya Toll Infra Limited which is a Mumbai-based company.
Bengaluru and Thane are also planning to start Smart parking projects. Smart parking is a necessity in any smart city. And every smart city is on the move to start exploring smart parking.
See also : Smart Roads : IoT Enabled Smart Road Technologies
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