You should be using cameras to manage your smart parking lot – here’s why
Combining the power of machine vision and IoT software, cameras offer an inexpensive solution for gathering real-time parking lot occupancy information, enforcing payments, and detecting intruders.
Managing a parking lot can be a real headache. From tracking vehicle information and space availability to processing payments and preventing crime, the job involves various moving parts that call for either exceptional manpower or sophisticated technology.
Many businesses opt for the latter, using sensors to measure smart parking lot occupancy. But this can be a clunky solution that requires extensive building planning or redevelopment. Want to install sensors in an existing parking lot? Be prepared for an expensive project with plenty of operational downtime.
Instead, look up. The cameras already installed in a parking lot can offer a cost-effective and flexible alternative. When optimized with computer vision and IoT software, cameras can help perform tasks like real-time occupancy and intruder detection, automatic license plate recognition, and seamless payment enforcement in parking lots. The end result? Better turnover rates and customer satisfaction, less congestion and pollution, and a great return on investment.
Here at MaxLabs, we believe advanced computer vision is the key to a more sustainable future. And managing congestion is vital to this. That’s why we’re leveraging our expertise in the field to help innovators create parking solutions for the smart cities of tomorrow.
Read on to find out how you can use cameras for parking lot occupancy detection and enforcement.
How are cameras used in smart parking lots?
Industrial cameras can easily be transformed into the all-seeing eyes of a smart parking solution. These are the three main components required:
Cameras
Computer vision
IoT software
Let’s break down their relationship:
Multiple cameras are installed at different positions and angles around a parking lot to capture images or videos, precisely mapping the area to identify the models and license plates of vehicles, as well as how long they stay for, and to keep tabs on which parking spaces are occupied.
These cameras then turn to computer vision, which analyzes the footage and performs tasks such as real-time parking lot occupancy detection, automatic license plate recognition, intruder detection, and more.
Finally, this data is collected and analyzed by dedicated IoT software that feeds a cloud server. Open-source software can help drivers find empty spots and parking lots in their cities via maps on street displays, apps, and websites. This can be especially useful for disabled drivers who need accessible parking close to their destination.
It’s important to note here that using high-quality camera equipment is the best way to make sure your smart parking lot operates reliably. That’s why we recommend the Tokay Lite, an advanced AI camera platform and ESP32-based development board packed with features such as night vision, motion detection, and TensorFlow Lite support. Thanks to edge AI processing, the camera doesn’t need a computer – it can perform fast, real-time image analysis and decision-making on the device itself, making it ideal for security and surveillance applications. The Tokay Lite can be used as a standalone devkit or be embedded in your parking lot camera system to augment it with vision and image processing data, and it can be integrated with major IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms too. It’s also versatile – the camera can installed in the hard-to-reach spots and awkward angles of a parking lot to provide a full range of view.
Now, what can cameras be used for in a smart parking lot?
Occupancy detection and automatic license plate recognition
The occupancy of a parking lot is the first thing to consider – how many vehicles are inside and how much space is there?
To get this information, computer vision uses object detection and optical character recognition models via cameras to automatically scan vehicles and their license plates, as well as the spaces between them. This tallies the vehicles and provides data such as model type, parking duration, and more – all of which are stored in a database to help the system predict busy periods and vacancies, and streamline the turnover rate.
Cameras can be put in a spot-based or count-based position to monitor parking lot occupancy.
Spot-based cameras monitor the status of individual parking spots in real time and provide detailed information about the vehicles using them. Multiple cameras are required for this to keep every parking space in view. This method is generally more useful in dense urban areas where space is limited and precision pays off.
Count-based cameras monitor vehicles as they enter and leave a parking lot, so naturally, they’re placed at the entrances and exits. This method provides a tally of occupied parking spaces in a garage or on a certain floor, which is effective for larger parking lots. Of course, both methods can be employed at the same time for maximum coverage.
Payment enforcement
Smart parking solutions that use cameras completely remove the need for meters. Using computer vision, cameras can track which vehicles enter a parking lot and how long they stay in a certain spot. No tickets, no inspectors, and no excuses – the tariff is linked to the license plate, and is calculated and processed automatically.
This means dynamic smart parking rates can be set up that are adjusted to certain time slots, days, and events – or whenever the system predicts an ebb or flow in traffic levels – while fines and warnings for vehicles that overstay their time can be issued automatically too. It’s an efficient method that can significantly increase revenues – and that’s not to mention other potential sources of income from things such as an uptick in new customers for commercial areas and the possibility of renting out unused spaces.
Intruder detection and security
Physical barriers, fences, and security guards are the hallmarks of traditional parking lots, but they’re not foolproof – especially in busy areas. Our vision is subjective too. What if a person enters a private area or a vehicle parks in a restricted spot? Are they lost, stopping briefly, or up to no good?
Computer vision can often read a situation more accurately than a person. Using advanced data collection and analysis techniques, computer vision software can automatically detect anomalies and prevent crimes such as vehicle theft and catalytic converter stealing – a growing issue right now – as well as illegal gatherings, fence crossing, drag racing, trespassing, and more.
Thanks to their vantage points in a parking lot, cameras can use computer vision to provide fully automated perimeter control and intrusion detection. This can be as simple as defining the objects or areas that need protecting via IoT software, and then sitting back as real-time object detection technology fishes out suspicious activities and alerts if a certain threshold is met, such as someone spending longer than 10 seconds in a restricted area. In this way, computer vision can shine a light on criminal activity and help business owners provide law enforcement agencies with accurate data for investigation.
Electric vehicles
As the electric vehicle (EV) market grows exponentially year on year, so will the need for widespread and accessible charging and smart parking lot infrastructure. That, or we risk a drop in EV adoption, which would be bad news for sustainability.
Cameras integrated with computer vision and IoT software in EV chargers can automatically read license plates, detect and prevent drivers from misusing parking spots, optimize payment enforcement, and monitor charging stations.
IoT software can then be used to collect the data taken from cameras and connect to chargers via wireless or wired connections, providing drivers with the locations of parking and EV bays, information on whether spaces are occupied, and the fastest routes to a spot – all automatically.
This ultimately ensures that our cities can accommodate the increasing number of EV drivers on the roads, easing the transition to a smarter and more sustainable future.
Optimize your cameras for smart parking with Maxlab’s Rainforest IoT platform
Our cities are getting busier, and congestion is unavoidable – it’s how we handle it that matters. At MaxLabs, we’re helping innovators tackle the challenges of the 21st century with smart solutions based on advanced computer vision.
With our Rainforest IoT platform, you can tap into the power of cameras and computer vision to set up a smart parking solution that automatically manages everything from parking and payment to safety and security.
Once installed, Rainforest helps you collect, process, and visualize your smart parking data via rich IoT dashboards, offering real-time remote device control and monitoring, as well as fault tolerance to ensure you never lose your data.
It’s a 100% open-source platform, meaning it can be combined with equipment such as access barriers, license plate recognition cameras, and display panels in parking lots for free, so you can provide plenty of spaces for customers, safeguard their vehicles, and collect payments automatically.
Here at MaxLabs, we help our customers convert their ideas into products. Our world-class development team will ask about all the details of your application to discover its strengths and then, armed with their deep understanding of computer vision and AI, will go the extra mile to help you deliver the best solution possible.