What Are The 3 Types of Vehicle Detection Sensors for Parking?
3 min read
Published on Parking Industry Insights
Creating a seamless parking experience for your visitors is now easier than ever, thanks to intelligent technologies like vehicle detection sensors. Aside from offering unmatched parking guidance and wayfinding opportunities, these systems have evolved to help maximize operational efficiency, increase revenue streams, and improve enforcement capabilities.
When considering investing in parking guidance technology for your parking facility, it is crucial to consider the various sensors on the market. Below are the three most common types of vehicle detection sensors for parking.
Overhead Indicator Sensors
The most common of the three – overhead indicator sensors – otherwise known as camera-based sensors, are installed above each parking stall, indicating available and unavailable parking stalls for drivers. This vantage point is beneficial as it provides light-based parking guidance for visitors using colour-coded LED guidance sensors; helping visitors find available parking 37% faster. These sensors can change to any colour to indicate specific parking opportunities (permit parking, accessible spaces, VIP parking, etc.).
This vehicle detection sensor is often paired with digital signage and licence plate recognition technology, which displays your facility’s occupancy levels and improves enforcement security. It can also communicate occupancy data to a central management system for business analysis.
In-Ground Sensors
Instead of installed overhead parking stalls, in-ground sensors are installed below them within the road. Unlike overhead indicators, in-ground sensors do not signal available parking stalls to drivers. Instead, they detect when a parking stall is in use; communicating parking occupancy to a central management system, which is then displayed on digital signage throughout the facility. In-ground sensors are also beneficial for cloud-based enforcement.
Surface Mount Sensors
Like in-ground sensors, surface mount sensors are installed on the parking stall itself; however, they are fixed to the road surface instead of installed within the road. Surface mount sensors are a simple way to gather parking occupancy data without the complex installation and a potential facility shutdown.
Similar to in-ground sensors, data generated by surface mount sensors fuel the system’s built-in central management platform, updating digital wayfinding signage in real-time and empowering cloud-based enforcement.
Parking guidance systems have evolved far past guiding visitors to available parking. Now, vehicle detection sensors allow facility operators to elevate their parking experience while receiving valuable parking data, increasing revenue streams, and enhancing day-to-day operations.
References
Assist, P. (2020, August 14). What is parking guidance? Parking Industry. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/feature-articles/what-is-parking-guidance?rq=parking+guidance
Assist, P. (2022, March 18). How camera-based parking guidance can deliver more efficiency and create more revenue opportunities. Parking Industry. Retrieved July 4, 2022, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/feature-articles/how-camera-based-parking-guidance-can-deliver-more-efficiency-and-create-more-revenue-opportunities?rq=parking+guidance
Donatucci, A. (2022, March 18). Cloud-based enforcement: An introduction. Parking Industry. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/feature-articles/cloud-based-enforcement-an-introduction
parking, S. (2022, April 7). Vehicle detection sensors. Smart parking. Retrieved July 4, 2022, from https://smartparking.com/smartpark-system/smart-sensors
Smart parking sensors. Smart Sensors. (n.d.). Retrieved July 4, 2022, from https://www.parkjapa.com/page7.html
Client Relations Manager, Precise ParkLink