Smart Vehicle Management System at a Leading Airport

Client

A leading international airport in India handling significant passenger and vehicle traffic daily. Managing vehicle movements efficiently while ensuring real-time monitoring and compliance was a critical requirement. The airport needed a smart parking management solution to automate vehicle tracking, optimize parking slot usage, and provide real-time alerts for overstayed vehicles.

Challenges

• Lack of real-time monitoring – Existing infrastructure lacked an automated mechanism to detect and notify vehicles exceeding parking time limits.
• Limited camera functionality – Standalone cameras could capture images but were insufficient for tracking parking slot occupancy and overstays.
• Delayed responses and manual intervention – Security personnel had to manually check vehicles, increasing inefficiencies in tracking and reporting.
• Absence of centralized data visualization – There was no system for aggregating, analyzing, and reporting parking data for better decision-making.

Our Solution: iThings-Powered Smart Parking System

To address these challenges, the iThings IoT platform was implemented as the central intelligence system to automate parking slot monitoring and provide real-time vehicle tracking, alerting, and data visualization. The solution included:

1. IoT-Based Vehicle Monitoring and Tracking

iThings integrated with a network of cameras and Network Video Recorders (NVRs) connected via Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches. The system captured real-time vehicle presence in parking slots and identified overstays.

2. Intelligent Edge Processing for Real-Time Alerts

An Application Server (Edge Companion) acted as a digital twin for cameras and NVRs. It collected, filtered, and pre-processed video data before synchronizing with the iThings server for intelligent decision-making. The edge processing minimized latency and improved response time for parking slot monitoring.

3. Automated Notification and Alerting System

iThings enabled automated vehicle overstay detection and sent real-time alerts to field staff through a dedicated Telegram channel. Staff received instant notifications with timestamped images, allowing for quick identification and response.

4. Data Visualization and Smart Parking Insights

iThings provided customized dashboards and analytics for tracking vehicle occupancy, monitoring overstay counts, and estimating revenue from parking violations. The system also provided real-time slot status updates, categorizing slots as occupied, free, unknown, or overtime to assist in optimized parking management.

5. Scalable and Secure Data Management

iThings collected, processed, and stored large volumes of telemetry data from cameras and NVRs, ensuring secure communication via MQTT, HTTP, and TCP/IP protocols. The platform’s fault-tolerant database architecture ensured data integrity and seamless operation.

Benefits of iThings Implementation

• Automated real-time monitoring – Vehicles overstaying their time limits were automatically detected and logged without manual intervention.
• Faster response and enforcement – Field staff received instant notifications with supporting evidence, allowing for quick action in managing parking violations.
• Optimized parking utilization – iThings dashboards provided real-time insights into parking slot occupancy, helping airport authorities efficiently manage space.
• Reduced operational inefficiencies – Eliminated manual tracking, reducing workload and enhancing overall airport parking management operations.
• Centralized reporting and analytics – The platform aggregated vehicle data for informed decision-making, offering insights into overtime counts, vehicle movement patterns, and estimated revenue impact.

Tech Stack Used

• iThings IoT Platform
• Application Server (Edge Companion)
• Network of Cameras and NVRs
• PoE Switches for Network Infrastructure
• MQTT, HTTP, TCP/IP Communication Protocols
• Telegram API for Real-Time Alerts