IOT-BASED ROADSIDE SMART PARKING SYSTEM

Growing vehicle density and insufficient parking facilities have made urban parking management increasingly challenging. Drivers often waste valuable time circling in a futile search for parking, which results in wasted gas, traffic congestion, and pollution. To mitigate these concerns, the proposed research presents an Internet of Things (IoT)- supported smart parking system that will automate and manage parking spaces in real time. The proposed system includes a microcontroller-based control unit that serves as the system's main processing unit. The control unit continuously monitors the occupancy status of each parking space using sensors to classify whether each space is empty or occupied. With the help of a specialized website, users can see parking space availability in real time and reserve parking in advance. The user opens the website and books a slot of their choice. Immediately after booking, an Entry OTP is generated and stored in Firebase. The user receives this OTP, which must be entered at the parking keypad within the 10- minute grace period. When the user decides to leave, the system calculates the total time spent based on the entry and current timestamps. The website displays the total payable amount (for example, ₹50/hour). Once the user completes the online payment, the system automatically generates a unique Exit OTP and sends it to the user. The user enters the Exit OTP on the keypad module. Upon validation, the servo motor opens the exit gate. The slot status is updated to Available, and the exit timestamp and payment confirmation are stored in Firebase. This control unit connects directly to the internet; therefore, there is no reliance on intermediate hardware to connect to the internet. The hardware saves user/consumer time and costs during implementation, improving the user experience.