Smart RFID-Based Automated Car Parking System: A Technological Leap in Urban Mobility

Abstract

The paper presents the design and deployment of an intelligent RFID-based car parking system to address the inefficiencies of traditional parking infrastructure. Based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, the system enables automatic vehicle identification, real-time tracking, and secure access control without human intervention. The system architecture consists of RFID readers, S50 RFID cards, a microcontroller-based control system, and motorized barriers. Simulation and field tests indicate space utilization improvement, waiting time reduction, and improved user convenience. The paper also presents the system\'s possible extension to intelligent city programs and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, which makes it a future-vision solution to urban mobility challenges.

Introduction

Mass urbanization and increased car ownership have caused severe parking issues like congestion, space wastage, long waits, and human errors in traditional manual parking systems. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an automated RFID-based smart parking system.

Using RFID technology, vehicles are tagged with RFID cards that communicate with RFID readers positioned at entry and exit points. This enables automatic vehicle identification, gate control, and real-time parking data management. The system integrates RFID hardware with centralized cloud-based management, improving operational efficiency, reducing errors, and enhancing user experience. It also provides a foundation for future integration with smart city solutions like intelligent transport and payment systems.

The system’s key hardware components include:

• MFRC-522 RFID reader for scanning vehicle tags.

• S50 RFID cards attached to vehicles.

• NodeMCU (ESP8266) as the central microcontroller with Wi-Fi for communication.

• Servo motor for automated gate control.

The methodology involves requirement analysis, system design, installation of RFID readers, centralized control development, integration with payment and access systems, testing, deployment, and ongoing improvements.

Results from testing show:

• High tag detection accuracy (~98.7%) with quick response time (~2 seconds).

• Significant reduction (~60%) in entry/exit time compared to traditional systems.

• Automated, real-time data logging with centralized monitoring.

• Enhanced security with anti-cloning measures and controlled access.

• Positive user feedback on convenience and trust.

• Low-cost modular design scalable for larger deployments.

Conclusion

The design and trial of the RFID-based automatic parking system fully justify the efficiency of its application in simplifying parking processes by means of automation, precision, and enhanced user satisfaction. Through the application of contactless RFID technology, the system drastically minimizes the need for human intervention, has low waiting times for entry and exit points, and guarantees secure and trustworthy vehicle access control. Through rigorous testing, the system had high accuracy in tag detection, rapid gate response times, and reliable real-time data recording, all resulting in an optimized parking experience. Additionally, the centralized monitoring and data analysis capabilities open up new options for smart traffic management, space optimization, and administrative control. The project demonstrates that with low-cost hardware components and simple integration processes, a cost-effective and scalable parking management system is possible. The system is also scalable by integrating mobile app, payment automation, and license plate recognition technologies to address the evolving needs of smart cities. In total, the RFID-based parking system presents a realistic, scalable, and visionary solution to contemporary urban infrastructure issues.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ahmed Hatem Ahmed, Archana Chaudhari. 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.