IoT-Based Smart Parking System: How to Create & What Do You Need?

Reading Time: 9 minutes

People often overlook the significance of smart car parking system using IoT to enhance their quality of life. However, imagine a scenario where such technology could substantially ease your daily routine and improve your living experience in a residential complex. For example, when living in a residential area surrounded by numerous vehicles, you might encounter issues such as overcrowded parking lots, where the number of vehicles far exceeds the available parking spaces.

Smart parking technology has applications across various parts of a town, including shopping malls and underground city center parking lots. Car parking system using IoT address the issue of overpayment for parking spaces, where individuals often pay more than necessary. Furthermore,  IoT smart parking management system minimizes traffic congestion, thereby facilitating smoother transportation within the city. This technology streamlines parking and enhances the overall urban mobility experience.

By 2023, the global smart parking market had already reached a value of 3.8 billion US dollars, a clear indication of the growing trend among architects to incorporate IoT smart parking in developing various residential complexes with smart infrastructure or smart cities. 

What Functions Can an IoT-based Parking System Have?

An IoT-based smart parking system encompasses a range of functionalities designed to streamline parking management and optimize space utilization within parking areas. 

• Parking Management: IoT-based parking solution manages parking spot allocation more efficiently and ensures that each square foot is used to its maximum potential.
• Parking Guide: A personalized parking guide is a standout feature of IIoT smart parking development, offering clients a hassle-free parking experience. This guide facilitates easy navigation within parking lots, allowing drivers to find available spots without circling around. Clients can use a mobile app or in-car system to receive real-time updates on parking availability, directions to the nearest open space, and even guidance on parking in tight spots.
• Parking Reservation: With the advent of a smart parking system using IoT, a reservation system has become a reality. This system enables individuals to book their parking spaces in advance, eliminating the uncertainty of finding a spot upon arrival. People can reserve a parking space at their convenience using a smartphone app or website, saving time and reducing the frustration associated with parking in busy areas. Payment integration within these platforms also allows seamless transactions, further enhancing the user experience.

The integration of IoT technology in parking systems doesn’t stop there. These systems can also reduce traffic congestion by efficiently managing parking spot turnover and providing data to help plan and develop future parking infrastructure. This data-driven approach aids in understanding parking patterns, peak times, and user preferences, which can be invaluable for city planners and developers in creating more efficient urban environments.

How Does IoT Smart Parking System Work?

The cornerstone of a smart parking development process is deploying devices equipped with sensors that detect a vehicle near a parking spot and trigger the opening of barriers or doors. This capability is pivotal in enhancing smart parking facilities’ efficiency and user experience.

Among the diverse array of sensors that can be used while you build a smart parking system, here are some key types:

• Ultrasonic Sensors: These devices operate on the principle of ultrasonic waves. They emit sound waves at a frequency higher than the human ear can detect. When these waves encounter an object, they bounce back to the sensor, which then calculates the distance between the sensor and the object based on the time it takes for the echo to return.

• Electromagnetic Field Detection Sensors: These sensors are adept at identifying variations in the electromagnetic field caused by the proximity of a metal object, such as a car. They activate when they sense a disruption in the electromagnetic field, indicating the presence of a vehicle. 
• Infrared Sensors: Operating by detecting changes in ambient temperature, infrared sensors can sense movement and the presence of objects based on their heat signatures. They are particularly effective in environments where motion detection is required to activate lighting, security, or other systems in addition to monitoring parking spaces. The versatility of infrared sensors makes them a valuable component in a smart parking ecosystem, contributing to energy savings and enhanced security.

Once data is collected from one of the sensors, it undergoes real-time analysis to extract actionable insights. For instance, a central processing system analyzes the occupancy status data from all sensors to map out available parking spots. Using historical data, it can also predict parking patterns over time, improving future parking management strategies.

The data is then transferred. The analyzed data is then transferred to various endpoints. For drivers, real-time parking availability information can be displayed on mobile apps or digital signage near parking entrances. For operators, detailed analytics on parking usage patterns help optimize space allocation and pricing strategies.

Major Components of IoT Smart Parkings

We have already discussed sensors, but we should also talk about other necessary components if you want to create IoT smart parking system. 

Smart Gateway

If you want to create a smart parking system, you will need an IoT-based smart gateway. A smart gateway is a critical conduit between devices and the cloud, facilitating seamless data flow, intelligent processing, and secure connectivity across a smart system. In the specific context of a smart parking solution, a smart gateway elevates the system’s capabilities by acting as a bridge that connects various parking sensors, microcontrollers, and the overarching cloud infrastructure.

A smart parking gateway meticulously aggregates data from vehicle detection sensors deployed across parking lots, such as ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and infrared. It processes this raw data locally, translating it into actionable insights, such as identifying vacant parking spaces or detecting unauthorized vehicle presence. This preprocessing significantly reduces the bandwidth needed for cloud communication, ensuring that only relevant, compact data is sent to the cloud, optimizing network resources and response times.

Moreover, the smart gateway plays a pivotal role in security within IoT frameworks. It implements advanced encryption and authentication protocols to safeguard data transmission between parking sensors, the cloud, and end-user applications. This not only ensures the privacy and integrity of sensitive user data but also protects the parking infrastructure from potential cyber threats.

Cloud Platform for Data Storage

The cloud platform is one of the most vital smart parking solution development steps, serving as the central repository for all collected data. It stores real-time occupancy information, historical data, user information, payment details, and analytics. This cloud-based storage solution enables scalable, remote access to data, facilitating the management of large-scale parking operations across multiple locations. Operators can access comprehensive analytics on parking patterns, peak usage times, and revenue, which assists in strategic decision-making and infrastructure improvements. Furthermore, the cloud platform ensures data integrity, security, and compliance with data protection regulations, making it a foundational component of the smart parking ecosystem.

Mobile Application for Smart Parking Control

The mobile application is the user-facing component of the smart parking system, offering a direct interface for drivers to interact with the service. It allows users to view real-time parking availability, reserve spots, navigate to the parking location, and make payments. The app can also provide notifications about parking time limits and offer options for time extensions. By integrating with the cloud platform, the mobile application ensures that the data presented to users is up-to-date, enhancing the parking experience with convenience and efficiency. For parking operators, the app provides a channel for customer engagement, feedback collection, and service personalization, making it an indispensable tool in modern smart parking solutions.

What Type Of Connectivity Choose For Smart Parking Components?

The choice of connectivity technology impacts the system’s efficiency, scalability, and overall performance. The most common types include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular (LTE, 4G, 5G), LoRaWAN, and Zigbee.

Let’s take a look at each of them so that you can have an answer to your question about how to develop IoT smart parking system that will operate effectively.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is widely used due to its high data transfer rates and extensive infrastructure. Its advantages include easy integration with existing networks and high throughput, which makes it ideal for transmitting video or heavy sensor data. However, its high power consumption and limited range, especially outdoors, can be challenging for large parking areas.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth, particularly Bluetooth Low Energy, uses less power than Wi-Fi, making it suitable for battery-operated sensors. It’s most effective in short-range scenarios, such as communicating between a car and a nearby parking meter. However, its limited range and lower data throughput make it less ideal for broader smart parking applications.

Cellular connections

Cellular connections (LTE, 4G, 5G) provide extensive coverage, making them suitable for wide-area smart parking solutions. They support high mobility and can handle high data volumes but incur recurring costs due to data plans and are more power-intensive.

LoRaWAN

LoRaWAN stands out for long-range, low-power applications. It’s perfect for sending small amounts of data over long distances and is ideal for parking sensors spread across a city. While its low power consumption extends sensor battery life, its lower data rate limits the amount of information that can be transmitted, which might not suit all applications.

Zigbee

Zigbee offers an advantage in creating mesh networks, where each device can communicate with multiple others, enhancing coverage and reliability. This is particularly useful in dense urban environments. However, its relatively complex setup and management might deter its use in simpler projects.

Which One To Choose?

Choosing the best type depends on specific project needs:

• Coverage and Range: LoRaWAN or Cellular for wide areas, Wi-Fi or Zigbee for smaller, dense areas.
• Data Needs: Wi-Fi or Cellular for high data volume, LoRaWAN or BLE for low data volume.
• Power Consumption: BLE and LoRaWAN are for battery-operated devices, Wi-Fi, or Cellular, where power is less of a concern.

How to Create an IoT Parking System?

The question of “How to develop a smart parking system?” is common, underscoring the complexity and specialized knowledge required to bring such a system to life. At Sirin Software, we specialize in providing IoT solutions tailored to streamline the development of smart parking systems, ensuring that you don’t have to navigate this intricate process alone. We recognize your curiosity and the desire to understand the workings behind such a system, so we are here to offer a brief overview of the development process for an IoT-based smart parking system.

Developing an IoT smart parking system involves several key stages, starting with selecting appropriate sensors (such as ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and infrared) to detect vehicle presence accurately. The choice of connectivity—Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular, LoRaWAN, or Zigbee—is crucial, as it affects the system’s range, power consumption, and data handling capabilities. A robust microcontroller is required for data processing, ensuring real-time responsiveness and efficiency.

The integration of a cloud platform for data storage and analysis is next, providing a backbone for scalability and remote management. This platform is essential for aggregating data from various sensors, analyzing parking patterns, and making this information accessible to users and administrators.

Finally, a user-friendly mobile application is developed to interface with the system, offering functionalities like real-time parking availability, navigation, and payment processing. This application serves as the primary touchpoint for end-users, emphasizing the importance of intuitive design and seamless integration with the backend systems.

Sirin Software’s expertise in IoT solutions ensures that each of these components is expertly integrated, resulting in a smart parking system that is efficient, reliable, scalable, and adaptable to future technological advancements.

Smart Parking Solution By Sirin Software

Everyone thinks that developing a complex solution like smart parking may not be as difficult as it’s described, but it takes a lot of practice and knowledge to achieve something like that. That’s why we recommend choosing a trusted partner to create a smart parking solution, as it requires relevant experience. 

Fortunately, Sirin Software is known for its expertise in this area. We recently developed a Smart Parking Solution featuring a Cloud backend, a Mobile App, and a Web Dashboard. Our task was to build a proof of concept project in the field of smart cities, and we delivered a comprehensive turnkey solution for smart parking. This solution is adaptable to any parking lot, user-friendly for both operators and customers, and results in cost savings for the owner. For more details, read the case study on our official website.

While developing our solution, our engineers utilized the following technologies: TypeScript, React, React Native, Redux, CI with GitHub Actions, CD with Amplify Console, LoRaWAN/Bluetooth 5.0, AWS (Amplify, AppSync, Cognito, DynamoDB, Lambda, S3), and GraphQL. This set of technologies enabled us to create a solution for a smart city project that is both innovative and cost-efficient.

One of the innovative aspects we take pride in includes our mobile app, web app, and cloud solution for smart parking. The web application assists employees by providing detailed statistics about parking spaces and cars. As a result, the parking manager can see which cars and plate numbers are parked in each space, facilitating the search for free parking spaces. The mobile app is designed to help parking lot clients control the parking process, including searching for parking spaces with specific criteria, providing directions, and enabling direct payment through the app.

Our cloud solution, developed as a serverless architecture using the latest AWS services, receives slot statuses and notifies all subscribers in real-time. It also stores all data for future analytics and predictions.

Choose Sirin Software Your Trusted Partner

Are you wondering, “How to create custom iot parking system?” We understand that placing your trust in a company can be daunting, but at Sirin Software, we prioritize the trust and satisfaction of our clients in every project we undertake. With us, you receive more than just a high-quality solution; you gain a partner committed to addressing all your questions and concerns.