Technology has infiltrated many facets of daily life, including the way we travel. Smart parking in particular has become a focus of technology over the last few years and there’s likely to be a lot of change in the future as it advances. From smart motorways to apps that can help you easily pay for car parking, it’s all-encompassing and this technology isn’t going anywhere soon.

What smart parking innovations can we expect in the near future and beyond? In this guide, we’ll look at what smart parking features currently exist and what we can expect to see over the next few years as the demand for technology to make our lives easier, becomes more significant.

What is smart parking?

Smart parking is a type of system that helps to make parking more efficient and cost-effective in the long term. It’s helpful to monitor the availability of parking spaces to help direct drivers to the right places when parking up at a local parking lot or parking area.

This has included the introduction of digital, LED signage to help provide real-time insight for those needing up-to-date information on parking spots available. The global smart parking systems market size was valued back in 2021 at 5.75 USD and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 21.2%. 

What types of smart parking technology exist currently?

There are three types of smart parking technology currently in existence, to put it simply. These are:

• Ground sensor technology
• Counter technology
• Overhead sensor or camera-based technology

Ground sensor technologies have been around for some time now and operate through a radar technology. They’re installed in the ground and then when a car enters a bay or space, the sensor below identifies an object being on top of it and registers it being occupied. 

Counter system technologies are usually operated within paring lots or enclosed garages where there are a number of lots in each. This is monitored through the raisable gate which allows cars in and out, counting how many are in at any one time. Typically, you’ll have a ticket to make payment and to present upon exiting the lot.

Finally, the overhead parking sensors or camera-based technology is one that’s been implemented more recently in order to monitor the car park or lot from high above. Typically, it’ll use something like a lamppost or building to detect cars going into relevant spaces.

We already have plenty of smart parking technologies in place, like parking management software that helps businesses allocate and monitor occupied and unoccupied spaces.

5 smart parking innovations to look out for in the next five years

So what smart parking innovations should we look out for in the next few years? Here are eight smart parking innovations that you could expect to see pop up in your work and personal life.

1. Robot car parks.

Robots are taking over and whilst humans are still required to operate these robots, it’s leading to a more technological-driven environment. For older generations, getting used to all of the new technologies coming in can be quite overwhelming. However, it’s all designed to help navigate life a little easier, rather than trying to overcomplicate it.

Robot car parks are the latest in innovations that will allow drivers to access a car park that’s operated entirely by robotic-powered systems. It means car parking is available at the touch of a button and is operated fully with robots from automated ramps and barriers to other developing technology that we’ll likely see elevate our car parking experience in the future.

We’re already starting to see a lot of car parking lots and garages that have robot systems in place to some degree so it’s not an innovation that’s coming but has already arrived. It’ll be exciting to see what comes next in this area of smart parking.

2. Automated valet parking robots for human-less customer service.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if you had valet parking robots that would park the car for you without any human contact? Perfect for a post-covid world but a great way of utilizing AI technology to do the jobs that not all humans want to do.

An automated parking system will function by using robots that pick up cars and park them. This works by the driver booking a parking space, say at the airport for example. They drop off their vehicles and then the valet robot picks up the vehicle and parks it in a parking lot space.

Bosch is one well-known company that’s offering the valet robots needed to provide automated valet robot services for businesses. 

3. Parking signage and designs in 3D.

When it comes to 3D, it’s another technology that has been actively used in design across many real-life environments, including engineering and manufacturing. It’s also used across a lot of the entertainment industry with many films opting to use 3D and more advanced dimensional experiences.

For smart parking, the introduction of 3D parking design and signaling is something that we are likely to see more of in the coming years. Again, major companies like Bosch are offering sensors to vehicle bumpers that help to adjust and avoid obstacles with 3D design as the aid.

Beyond 2022, we can see a lot more of the 3D technology being used in the development of vehicles from sports cars to modern car brands creating the latest line of models. As well as that, it’ll likely be used further for the benefit of smart parking.

4. Wireless charging on parking spots.

For electric vehicles, charging points are already readily available to use, so it’s not so much of a far stretch when it comes to wireless charging park spots being in the works.

Through recent innovations, wireless charging will hopefully mean the end of cords for charging and these wireless solutions are likely already out there being used, although there’s still more scope for this aspect of smart parking.

These charging solutions use 240-volt outlets and then the outlet is connected to a charging pad that sits underneath your car. It’s the same as putting your phone on a charging pad and waiting for it to charge. With the need for more electric cars on the road, it’s only likely that wireless charging will become more popular and we’ll see more of it in the coming years.

5. Car parking lifts.

Car parking lifts are somewhat similar to that of the automated valet solution mentioned further above. These car parking lifts are starting to go mainstream as it helps to utilize space in places that don’t have enough surface level parking available.

It works by stacking cars on top of one another and can enable more volume in one section, rather than it taking up more space. For example, two or three vehicles can occupy the one space.

There are many developments that would benefit investing into this type of smart parking, especially for those based in cities where space is limited.

The benefits of smart parking in 2022

What are the benefits of smart parking in 2022? There are many that make this type of vehicle and road technology worthwhile. Here are a few benefits to smart parking that are worth knowing about.

Cost-effective and time-saving

The main benefits to smart parking is that they’re cost-effective due to the lower fuel consumption. With lower fuel consumption, there’s less need to fill up your tank so often, meaning you’re making savings for your wallet.

With smart parking, you save time on having to find space, especially in areas you’re not familiar with as a driver.

Reduces the stress of parking

Having smart parking innovations such as the ones mentioned above can reduce the stress that drivers often deal with when it comes to parking and driving around parking lots in general. Through features like robot car parks to sensors that help navigate tight parking spots, it’s all helpful in reducing the stress of parking.

Minimizes personal carbon footprint

Minimizing your carbon footprint is important and so when it comes to your own, it can be helpful to make savings with the amount of fuel you use and the time spent driving around areas to find a parking spot.

Smart parking is fast becoming the new norm for drivers and vehicle owners

Whether you’re a business trying to manage employee parking or you’re an average joe looking to make parking easier, smart parking is fast becoming a new norm as technology continues to grow. 

We can certainly find a lot of this smart parking technology in existence so it’s certainly worth taking advantage of if you come across it in the near future or later on through the next decade.

Author Bio: Natalie Redman (LinkedIn)

Freelance writer for many clients across multiple industries. Natalie has two years of copywriting experience. Natalie has a wide range of experience copywriting for web pages for businesses across many industries. She’s also an owner of two blog websites and a Youtube content creator.