Assignment 2: Smart Parking Systems - Draft 2 (Summary & Reader Response)

Revisied 12/05/2020

In the article “IoT based Smart Parking Systems for Smart Cities”, Joshi (2020) stated that smart parking systems provide consumers with options of smart parking spaces. Smart parking leads to “effective management of parking space that will manage the space efficiently.” Joshi mentioned that smart parking utilizes sensors embedded in pavements to detect available parking spaces, transmitting information to the cloud. Joshi remarked that smart parking enables users to reserve and monitor parking spaces ahead of time, minimizing the hassles of physically finding the best parking space. Joshi also commented that the demerit of smart parking is the downloading of its application and inputting personal data for single usage, which brings inconvenience to tourists. There will also be additional funds required to enhance the accuracy of the system.

After reading the article, I feel that information about smart parking was not elaborated on, which may lead to an unbalanced view by its readers. There are other factors to be considered before judging smart parking for its effectiveness, such as reduced cost of operating a car park, decreased driving-related stresses, and minimizing the negative impact driving causes to the environment.

Firstly, smart parking reduces the cost of operating a car park. The construction of a car park with a smart parking system is more pricey compared to conventional parking. Cost considerations are initiated during the planning phase. Smart parking may not be applied as it requires enormous fundings. However, smart parking systems may result in larger savings in the long run. In a conference proceeding, Ashok(2020) said that the energy-saving function of smart parking leads to a significant decrease in electrical bills. Lightings of certain areas in the car park are dimmed by around 40% when users are not detected, which leads to an 84% decrease in energy usage. According to Ashok, smart parking technology reduces electrical bills. In the context of Singapore, costs are reduced from thousands of dollars to merely tens of dollars. It is an undeniable fact that smart parking will result in saving both costs and electricity as time passes.

With smart parking, users would feel less stressed out about finding parking spaces. Smart parking application allows users to book and pay for a parking space before parking, which leads to fewer arguments or violent behaviors between drivers while looking for a parking space. Not having to find a parking slot proves convenient in stressful situations and important occasions. In the news article “Drivers spend an average of 17 hours a year searching for parking spots”, McCoy (2017) reported that approximately 67% of U.S. drivers felt stressed while scouting for places to park their vehicles. Out of the surveyed, 42% claimed they did not make it for appointments, 34% canceled an outing, and 23% encountered road rage due to parking difficulties. I believe smart parking can solve the issue, creating a less stressful environment for drivers.

Lastly, smart parking minimizes the negative impact on the environment. In large cities, it is not always easy to find a parking space. Davis (2019) reported that an average of 20 minutes is spent by a driver to look for parking spaces. Davis remarked that “In Westwood, California, cruising for parking burned 47,000 gallons of gas and generated 730 tonnes of carbon dioxide in one year.” Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. The abundance of greenhouse gases causes dire outcomes in the environment. Smart parking can solve the issue of car cruising, which reduces carbon emissions and creates a greener environment.

Smart parking no doubt has its flaws, and are brought to light upon its users. However, a large amount of information was kept unknown by Joshi to its users about the benefits of smart parking which include important points like environmental changes. Therefore, I believe that readers and users alike should not base their opinions solely on the article, “IoT based Smart Parking Systems for Smart Cities” and broaden their views by researching about smart parking on other platforms.

References

Ashok, D., Hsu, C., Jirge, V., Le, T, & Tiwari, A. (2020, April 27) A time bound dynamic group key distribution scheme with anonymous three-factor identification for IoT-based multi-server environments, Information Security (AsiaJCIS) 2020 15th Asia Joint Conference (pp. 59-65). IEEE Xplore https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9077885/

Davis, S. (2019, July 1). Smart Parking and Sensors in the Age of IoT. Semiconductor Digest. https://www.semiconductor-digest.com/2019/07/01/smart-parking-and-sensors-in-the-age-of-iot/

Joshi, R. (2020, February 14). IoT based Smart Parking Systems for Smart Cities. hIoTron. https://www.hiotron.com/smart-parking/

McCoy, K. (2017, July 12). Drivers spend an average of 17 hours a year searching for parking spots. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/07/12/parking-pain-causes-financial-and-personal-strain/467637001/