The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

156 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om S tationary traffic poses numerous challenges for cities and parking space operators. For example, drivers searching for parking spaces and the associated vehicle emissions. The Parking Lot Sensor (PLS) from Bosch enables cities and parking lot operators to efficiently manage available parking spaces and contribute to the reduction of noise and emissions. The solution also give residents and visitors the abil- ity to locate available parking spaces. The PLS reduces costs, increases fee income and forms the basis for innovative service offerings for the population and economy in any smart city. It is a simple, retrofit solution for parking in indoor and outdoor parking spaces that can be installed in just a few minutes. It is equipped with an intel- ligent, self-learning algorithm, which removes the need for manual, time-consuming teach-in and ensures up to 96 per cent accuracy. In addi- tion, the PLS can be operated maintenance-free with a battery life of up to five years. As an internet-of-things parking solution, the PLS uses the standard LoRaWAN protocol for wireless communication and cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure for data visualisation, making it ideally suited as a component for any smart city project. The search for a parking space can take the average driver around 20 minutes. By using the PLS, this time can be reduced by up to 35 per cent – which means 35 per cent less inner-city traffic and 35 per cent fewer emis- sions as people search for parking spaces. The PLS detects and reports the occupancy of park- ing spaces and thus enables active parking space management using functions such as search, navigation and reservation. To prevent unauthorised parking, for example exceeding the maximum parking time allowed or using closed areas such as fire brigade access roads, the PLS allows for a much more targeted deployment of public order staff and a significant increase in productivity; the solution can be used in conjunction with other smart map applica- tions to show all parking offenders in real time. Compliance with the respective regulations for loading zones and short-term parking spaces can also be efficiently monitored in this way – a business case that can quickly pay for itself. The monitoring of e-charging stations has proven to be another useful application of the solution. These stations are often mistaken for normal parking spaces and thus fail to fulfil their more sustainable purpose. Isabel Lang is a marketing specialist at Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions The benefits of smart parking Cloud and IoT-based car park technologies can be used to reduce inner-city traffic, minimise exhaust emissions, and increase citizen satisfaction I S AB E L L ANG : BOS CH CONNE C T ED DE V I C E S AND SOLUT I ONS V I EWPO I NT