Built in Wireless Fidelity Based Parking Slot Booking System

Abstract

The vehicle counts are increasing day by day which results in the demand for efficient parking solutions. Traditional parking systems often require manual intervention, leading to time-consuming searches for available spots, increased traffic congestion, and unnecessary fuel consumption. To address these issues, this paper proposes a smart car parking system that leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) and infrared (IR) sensors to automate the detection and monitoring of vacant parking slots. The system uses IR sensors to determine the presence of a vehicle in each slot, and an NODEMCU microcontroller, along with a Wi-Fi module, to transmit the real-time data to a cloud-based platform. Through this approach, users can remotely access the availability of parking slots via a web or mobile application, enabling faster and more efficient parking decisions.Our proposed system also provides cloud-based booking system with better efficiency. The system is designed to be scalable, cost-effective, and easy to deploy in various environments, from small parking lots to large commercial complexes. The integration of IoT technology not only enhances user convenience but also contributes to smarter urban traffic management by reducing congestion and optimizing parking space usage. This paper discusses the system architecture, implementation, and results from prototype testing, demonstrating its potential for real-world applications.

Introduction

1. Introduction

Urban areas face growing parking challenges due to the rising number of vehicles. Traditional systems rely on manual management, causing inefficiencies, traffic congestion, and fuel waste. To address this, a smart, automated IoT-based parking system is proposed.

2. Key Technologies

• Infrared (IR) Sensors: Detect vehicle presence in individual slots.

• NodeMCU (ESP8266): A microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi, used for reading sensor data and transmitting it to the cloud.

• Ubidots Platform: Cloud interface for real-time data visualization, slot booking, and dashboard access.

• MQTT Protocol: Used for fast and efficient data transmission.

3. System Architecture

• Each parking slot is equipped with an IR sensor.

• Sensors are connected to a NodeMCU, which sends data to the Ubidots cloud.

• Users access a dashboard (via mobile or web) to check availability and book slots.

4. Implementation

• Hardware Setup: IR sensors detect vehicle presence; NodeMCU gathers and transmits data.

• Firmware Development: C/C++ code using Arduino IDE handles sensor input, Wi-Fi connection, and MQTT communication.

• Cloud Dashboard: Visualizes live slot status, manages bookings, and prevents double booking.

• Booking Feature: Users can reserve free slots; the system logs booking time and updates status.

5. Results and Performance

• Sensor Accuracy: IR sensors showed >95% detection accuracy under varied lighting and distances.

• Real-Time Monitoring: Slot status updates within 2 seconds on the dashboard.

• Reliable Booking: Users could reserve slots, which then became unavailable to others.

6. Related Work Comparison

7. Advantages

• Real-time monitoring and booking

• Cost-effective and scalable

• Minimal latency with MQTT

• Simple and energy-efficient design

8. Future Enhancements

• Integration with license plate recognition

• Mobile app development for easier access

• Alerts and notifications for users

Conclusion

This paper presented an IoT-based automatic car parking system with real-time monitoring and remote booking capabilities, utilizing IR sensors, NodeMCU, and the Ubidots cloud platform. The system effectively addresses common urban parking challenges by enabling users to view slot availability and reserve parking spaces in advance through an online interface. Experimental results demonstrated reliable vehicle detection, fast data transmission, and a responsive cloud dashboard. The proposed solution is low-cost, scalable, and suitable for deployment in small to medium-sized parking facilities. It significantly reduces manual intervention and search time for parking, thereby contributing to improved traffic management and enhanced user convenience.

References

[1] Bose, D., & Roy, A. (2023). IoT-enabled smart parking and charging system for electric vehicles. IEEE Access, 11, 112234–112243. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3288124 [2] Das, A., &Dutta, A. (2022). Design and implementation of IoT based smart parking system. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), 11(05), 70–74. https://www.ijert.org/design-and-implementation-of-iot-based-smart-parking-system [3] Khan, M. A., &Pathan, M. K. (2021). A survey on IoT-based smart parking systems in smart cities. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 14(1), 1967–1980. http://dx.doi.org/10.33832/ijfgcn.2021.14.1.146 [4] Abdullah, N. H., &Rahman, A. R. A. (2020). IoT-based car parking management system using IR sensor. UniversitiTeknologi MARA Research Repository. http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/43518/ [5] Raut, R., Patil, R., & Kale, M. (2020). An IoT-based smart parking management system. International Journal of Computer Applications, 175(29), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5120/ijca2020920260

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Akshaya V., Nithya Parvathi S., Nagavishnu , Kavitha . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.