The challenge: The “IoT Smart Parking Proof of Concept” portfolio showcases a desktop-based demo that effectively illustrates the integration of IoT (The Internet of Things) and payments. The primary challenge was to explore the potential of IoT and payments, with a particular focus on leveraging automotive expertise. The objective was to address parking challenges by introducing smart bidding and enable payments within vehicles.
The solution: To overcome this challenge, close collaboration with a payments consultancy was initiated. Leveraging my background in the automotive industry, the team narrowed down the scope to explore the concept of accepting payments within vehicles. The solution entailed integrating IoT technology and smart bidding to resolve the challenges associated with finding parking spaces.
The process began with designing and wireframing the demo, outlining the key functionalities and user interactions. Subsequently, a collaborative effort with the payments consultancy was initiated to bring the concept to life. The demo employed smartphones as representations of smart parking meters, while three smart cards with 3D-printed chassis, encased in LEGO wheels, acted as the vehicles. NFC stickers were attached to a LEGO cityscape to facilitate communication.
During the simulation, as the LEGO vehicles traversed the town, they encountered smart sensors that indicated their search for parking. A smart bidding auction was triggered between the vehicles and the smart parking bays. Once the auction concluded, the winning bidder received details of the allocated parking bay. Upon parking, a frictionless money transfer occurred from the vehicle to the smart parking bay. When leaving the parking bay, it became available again, and payment ceased.
The IoT Smart Parking Proof of Concept demo garnered significant attention and interest from potential customers at various industry events. It attracted attention from numerous automotive companies, highlighting its potential for real-world application. The successful execution of this demo showcased the effectiveness of integrating IoT and payments to address parking challenges, thereby paving the way for future innovations in the field.
Tech stack: Android Developer Studio, Java, .net C#, UDP broadcast.