By Jeremy Hsu Posted 02.08.2010 at 5:17 pm 10 Comments

Available Parking Open space anyone? heartbeaz

Looking for open parking spaces in the city is one of the more teeth-grinding rituals for drivers, but researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey may have hit upon a relatively low-cost solution. They combined ultrasonic sensors with GPS to create digital maps of available parking spaces for Web-based navigation systems, according to Technology Review.

As much as 45 percent of traffic in Manhattan comes from cars wearily circling the blocks and looking for parking spaces, according to a New York City transportation advocacy group called Transportation Alternatives. That problem has driven cities such as San Francisco to create "smart parking infrastructure" that detects vehicles in parking spots using fixed sensors -- a solution that costs $500 for installing and maintaining each sensor.

The Rutgers researchers took a more mobile, low-cost approach by builing a sensor platform based on a $20 ultrasonic sensor that gauges the distance to nearby obstacles, and a $100 GPS receiver to mark locations. They combined the setup with a PC to transmit the data to a central server via Wi-Fi, and placed the prototype platform on just three cars that commuted through Highland Park, NJ.

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Technology, Jeremy Hsu, automobiles, cars, GPS, navigation systems, parking, parking lots, ultrasonic sensors
Based on data collected from daily commutes of the three cars alone, the team created an ultrasound algorithm to calculate available parking spaces that was 95 percent accurate, and also made digital maps based on the GPS data that were more than 90 percent on target. Such digital maps could then become available to navigation systems on other cars via Wi-Fi connections or the more widely available cellular modems, and perhaps become part of the traditional GPS setup in cars.

A next possible step could involve outfitting taxicabs or other cars that regularly drive around. The engineers say that they could cover the entire downtown San Francisco area using just 300 taxis for $200,000, compared to the $3 million price tag for just one of San Francisco's fixed-sensor parking lots. We'll take that, please, along with our parallel-parking cars.

[via Technology Review]

10 Comments

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Cyph
02/08/10 at 5:37 pm

I could see this being counter productive.

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ford2go
02/09/10 at 3:35 am

Why would taxi drivers want to help locate parking spots?

Seriously, this might not help much. Drivers will race towards the available spots, but there are still only so many. Some places just need an effective mass transit solution. (emphasis on effective)

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Cuishi14
02/10/10 at 12:23 am

Chris

why dont people ever wonder wat life would be like without cars? imagine all the room freed up if we didnt have roads, parking lots, freeways etc

CARS!! in general are a menice to society maybe 60 years ago they were useful but now days with as many people we have cars are obsolete and one the most idiotic inventions we still HAVE to have

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Psy_on_the_6th
02/11/10 at 3:30 pm

Bigger parking lots with better entrances/exits?

Duct tape is like the Force - it has a Light side, a Dark side, and it holds the universe together. -- Carl Zweiberg

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Scotty K49
02/17/10 at 8:44 am

Think about how bad this is going to be, people all rushing for the only spot within 5 blocks and then one person gets there while the other 20 drive away saddened

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Budapest
03/04/10 at 10:17 am

@Scotty K49 Nooo.... The system would only tell one car driver to go to the free location. Think of this system as way of economizing fuel. You won't have to circulate around and around to find a spot: you will be directed to the one specially destined to be yours!

Do you think there is such thing as love at first sight when it comes to parking spots? What if you see a spot and you totally fall in love with it but the system has told you to go to another spot? What then? OMG, life can be so cruel at times...

www.hungriabonita.com/budapeste - Incredible Budapest

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IrascibleOne
05/20/10 at 7:08 pm

Yeesh, why is everyone so negative about everything posted on the site?

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HubbyGo
10/11/10 at 6:26 am

I can see how they make the round trip missions progress over time, and I certainly learn from them. Thank you.
http://www.heathrowairportparking.org/

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Susancai100
11/28/10 at 9:28 pm

I think this type of systems is good for the development of the city．http://www.amerisleep.com/mattresses.html



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