Technologies are changing how we live, even in fields that appear to have well-defined procedures. Public parking services may appear simple enough, but a closer examination uncovers numerous obstacles for both drivers and parking operators, ranging from the difficulty of finding an available parking spot in a busy location to issues with convenient and secure payment methods.
The Internet of Things (IoT) offers enormous promise to solve these problems.
In this post, we’ll look at the smart parking solutions and the benefits it can provide for both drivers and parking lot managers.
What Is a Smart Parking System?
Smart parking is an IoT-powered system that uses sensors and/or cameras to collect information on the availability of parking spaces in a certain area.
To interface with such a system, a driver must have the appropriate mobile application (some applications may also have a web version). In general, such apps allow users to reserve a parking spot and pay for it ahead of time.
To understand what benefits a smart parking solution provides to drivers and parking garage operators, we only need to look at the system’s components and operations.
How Does Smart Parking Work?
Smart detectors (sensors) are the central component of smart parking technology. A sensor might be associated with a single parking spot or several. It provides information about whether or not the parking place is currently occupied to a cloud server.
Drivers can check parking availability using a suitable app, which often plots available spaces on a smart parking map, allowing users to know whether there are still empty spots at a parking lot now or at a specific time in the future. The driver can locate a suitable parking lot and reserve a space in advance. Information about the reserved parking spot will be forwarded to the server and made available to other app users.
Drivers can get information about parking area occupancy on dynamic smart parking signs. This implies that even cars who do not have the app can see if there are any available spots at the entrance. If there aren’t any parking spaces available, they can go to another lot and avoid adding to a traffic snarl near the one that’s already full.
Benefits of a Smart Parking Solutions in Cities
Let’s have a look at top benefits of smart parking solutions in cities. These benefits are for both drivers as well as parking operators. Let’s dig deeper:
- Reduces Stress for Drivers. Trying to find an available parking space can be a frustrating experience. However, the problem can be solved by installing smart detectors and cameras in a parking lot and connecting them to a cloud server. If you can see that all of the spaces are occupied, simply look for another parking place.
- Safety Features. Parking facilities should always prioritize driver and employee safety. Smart parking technology makes it simple to do so. Staff can monitor all sections of your parking lot or garage using sensors, cameras, and other equipment. They can identify license plate numbers to determine who is utilizing your facility. These advantages can assist increase safety by: deterring intruders; reducing the likelihood of property damage and vandalism; lowering the risk of theft; and reducing the likelihood of muggings and similar crimes.
- Improves User Experience. Drivers prefer to easily locate accessible parking spots. Smart parking technology enables this. With these systems in place, drivers no longer have a stressful experience driving around parking lots looking for an open spot. This better user experience may encourage drivers to continue using your parking facility. This leads to increased business and money.
- Fuel And Time Savings. Apps provide car owners with a clear picture of where they may find a parking place and the ability to reserve it in advance. This saves time and gasoline spent driving around looking for a parking spot.
- Helps in Making Right Parking Management Decisions. The ability to remotely monitor the situation at a parking lot benefits operators as well, allowing them to develop more efficient business strategies and make better judgments on whether to close a parking garage or open a new one in a certain zone. This means that city governments and businesses can make more informed decisions about parking lot organization and budget allocation.
- Increases Revenue For Parking Operators. Real-time data analytics can be used not only to improve planning and service delivery, but also to implement dynamic pricing. In this situation, prices can be adjusted based on current demand, which will assist maximize earnings.
- Reduces Carbon Footprint. Providing drivers with relevant information about parking availability will reduce the number of automobiles circling a garage, lowering unnecessary carbon emissions.
- Reduced Traffic Jams. This benefit is directly linked to the previous one. When drivers know where they may park their vehicles, they don’t have to wait in lines to exit a garage following an unsuccessful attempt to find a parking spot.
- Simplifies Payment Processes. A smart parking system can also accept payments through a mobile app. The transaction is straightforward and quick, which improves drivers’ experiences.
- Increases Security. A smart parking system equipped with cameras allows operators to monitor what is going on in the parking lot. Identifying the license plate allows you to determine who is arriving and when they will depart.
What Is the Impact of Smart Parking in Cities?
Adopting new technology for parking purposes has lot of benefits for parking as we have seen above. You will be surprised to know that local businesses, city planning departments, and the environment all benefit from smart parking solutions in cities.
You must be curious to know what are the components of this technology. Let’s take a look at the components.
Smart parking typically has the following components:
- Real-time data
- Sensors
- Intelligent algorithms
This combination of finest technologies offers real-time details to help drivers find available spaces. As told earlier as well, it also helps improve the efficiency of parking management services in several ways.
Types Of Smart Parking Systems In Cities
Let’s have a look at the types of smart parking systems in cities and how it evolved.
- Smart Parking Solution Based on Ground Sensors. Ground sensors are not the most recent inventions. In reality, they’ve been in use for decades, with little alteration. They employ radar to determine when a car is parked. With the integration of IoT solutions, these sensors have become more advanced, providing real-time data and enhancing the efficiency of parking management systems.
- Camera-Based Systems Parking Sensors. These smart detectors can view a parking lot from above, covering many parking spaces at the same time.
- Counter System. Such solutions typically rely on raisable gates. They count how many cars have entered and exited. This type of system is commonly used in enclosed parking garages. These systems have been widely used, however they have limitations if they are not supplemented with other sensors. They cannot show smart parking maps with available spaces. For instance, RFID tags on vehicles can communicate with the parking system, allowing for automatic gate access and real-time space availability updates, enhancing the overall parking experience.
Final Words
Smart parking systems have become an essential component of a smart city infrastructure. They assist drivers save time while also regulating traffic congestion and avoiding mishaps caused by traffic delays. Introducing such technologies may also have a good effect on environmental protection. All of these considerations indicate that governments around the world are becoming more interested in these solutions, which will lead to more adoption.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Deepika Pandey
Quelle/Source: RFID Jurnal, 20.08.2024
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