By Chris Scheppmann

The proliferation of parking guidance technology has arguably been the most important parking technology trend over the past ten years. The past decade has seen guidance evolve from a valuable tool that many owners considered a luxury to an essential element of parking management. And with maturation of the smart city movement and the introduction of smart city platforms like the Park Detroit app, parking guidance has emerged as the indispensable parking and mobility technology.

Until recently, parking owners were faced with a significant cost/benefit tradeoff when selecting parking guidance technology. There were only two options: expensive single space sensor systems or inexpensive in-motion loop systems.  For years, the single space sensor was the gold standard. They are very accurate, but also very expensive. A complete over-the-space sensor system could cost anywhere from $500 to $750 per space, given infrastructure limitations and signage requirements. So, for a garage with just five hundred parking spaces, the cost of installing a reliable guidance system would be around $250,000 and could run as high as $375,000. And that’s just the initial installation cost. There may also be maintenance and repair costs to factor in.

Traditional in-motion counting solutions, on the other hand, such as loops or ultrasonic sensor technologies are inexpensive. But they are also very inaccurate. These systems count vehicles as they enter and leave a parkade, using vehicle sensing technologies. While these systems are much less expensive than single space sensors, they are also considerably less accurate. They also typically operate as stand-alone systems and can’t be integrated with other platforms or software.

However, in recent years, the introduction of vision-based Intelligent Camera technology has filled the gap between single-space and traditional sensor systems for in-motion car counting. Intelligent camera technology leverages the latest advancements in vision and machine learning-based software technology to track, identify, and count cars as they enter and exit a parkade or parking lot. Cameras are located at parkade entrances and exits, as well as in strategic locations within the parkade. Because far fewer cameras are required than in a single space environment, they can be installed at a fraction of the cost. But they are extremely accurate. In fact, Intelligent Camera systems can achieve greater than 99% accuracy.

The key to the accuracy of an Intelligent Camera system is the software that runs it. The AI-powered platforms can differentiate between specific objects, such as cars, people, motorcycles, and scooters, and precisely count only those vehicles that will be parked. Typically, Intelligent Cameras are located at the main entries, entrances, and exits of individual parking floors, and even specific zones to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic. The cameras count how many cars enter and exit the structure, as well as each individual floor. The cameras also have the ability to identify license plates for parker inventory, permit and visitor visibility and enforcement. That data is compiled and analyzed in real time to determine how many spaces are available and who is in the parking facility as a whole, as well as on each floor. The data is then transmitted to strategically located LED signs located at the facility’s entrance and at the entrance of each floor. When people drive into the garage or lot, the entry sign tells them how many parking spaces are available at that moment throughout the facility. As they drive through the garage, signs at each level tell them how many spaces are available on that particular level, at that moment.

Vision-Based vs. Alternative Sensor Technology

While the cost of installing vision-based technology is comparable to the price of loops, ultrasonic, or other non-vision-based sensor technologies, there are many differences between the vision-based and not. The differences begin at the operational level. For instance, since Intelligent Camera solutions are more accurate than non-vision-based technologies, there’s no need for lane delineation. Not only can Intelligent Cameras monitor all lanes in multilane drive aisles, but when cars straddle two lanes (which is common when the car is the only one entering or exiting a parkade), the cameras can still provide an accurate count. Alternate technologies typically can’t.

Also, Intelligent Camera systems require less infrastructure. There are several reasons for this. First, a single camera can view and count multiple lanes of traffic. Also, because the heart of an Intelligent Camera system is its operating platform, existing cameras can typically be used to also provide guidance. So, if a parkade already has an LPR system in place at entrances and exits or security cameras located throughout, those cameras can also be connected to the guidance platform to provide parking guidance.

Intelligent Cameras are also multifunctional. In addition to counting cars as they enter and exit, the cameras also record entry and egress. So, if there’s a question of when a vehicle entered or exited, for instance, there’s a video record of that transaction. Likewise, the cameras can be set up to provide security and can record accidents and other events that may occur.

Scalability is an important additional benefit provided by Intelligent Camera systems. The platforms and the cameras they rely on can manage multiple functions, including occupancy management, guidance, LPR, and security surveillance. However, parking owners and operators don’t need to set up all the functions when the system is installed. New functionality can easily be added when a need arises. And as future capabilities are introduced to the software, they can be added to the system without having to add new hardware.

Finally, Intelligent Cameras leverage machine learning software to accurately recognize different types of vehicles and categorize traffic versus objects that are not parkers (i.e. people, bicycles, trash bins, etc.). This provides a more accurate vehicle count by ensuring that you are not counting non-parkers.

Ask the Right Questions

When selecting parking guidance technology, it’s important to ask the right questions to make sure, not only that the technology will produce the necessary results, but that those results will meet the needs of your parkade or parking lots.

First, what is the company’s core technology backbone to counting? There are significant differences between Intelligent Camera, loop, and single space sensor systems. It’s important to know the difference and it’s important for the providers you are considering to be able to explain to you not just what kind of technology they offer, but why that technology is singularly capable of meeting your needs.

If you choose an Intelligent Camera—or Vision—technology, ask how long the provider has been specializing in Vision technology? New companies are constantly appearing and it’s important that your technology partner has extensive experience with parking guidance.

How many locations has the system been deployed to, and how many sites have achieved project completion? You don’t want your parking lot or parkade to be a test site. Make sure your technology partner has experience providing the services you are looking for.

Has the technology been signed off on projects with parking consultants verifying accuracy results? Don’t take technology companies at their word when they say they can handle your project. Ask the experts who work with parking technology every day. Our industry is blessed to have a multitude of parking consulting firms with experience connecting their clients with the right technology partners. Ask them what they think.

Parking guidance is the essential technology in today’s parking and mobility world. By asking these simple questions you can be assured to make the right choice when choosing a parking guidance product.

About the author: Chris Scheppmann is managing member of EnSight Technologies.
He can be reached at chris@ensight-technologies.com.