Netherlands-based parking and vehicle detection technology company Nedap has launched a new NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) version of its SENSIT smart parking sensor, which it will demonstrate to the market during the Smart City Expo in Barcelona (Spain) from November 13-15.
Nedap’s existing SENSIT product is a wireless sensor-based vehicle detection system that enables motorists to quickly find available parking spaces. With the introduction of the new sensor, the company will empower Smart Cities and other urban areas to collect real-time parking data using their NB-IoT network. Narrow Band-IoT technology connects devices to the internet using the 5G cellular network that is currently being introduced worldwide by telecommunications providers. This innovative technology is expected to have great impact on people’s daily lives, as it is predicted to connect more than 25 billion devices ranging from street lights to air quality or parking sensors in the near future.
With almost 15 years of experience in smart parking projects all over the world, Nedap has obtained a lot of knowledge by applying its proprietary SENSIT network, which consists of on-street wireless sensors that detect in real time whether or not a single parking bay is occupied and how long it has been occupied.
The company is convinced that NB-IoT technology offers many opportunities for smart parking in every urban area. The NB-IoT technology will be of interest for cities that aim to use a large quantity of sensors that need to communicate over this new network, as it is cost effective, uses low power, and offers a good performance. Typical applications include on-street parking guidance and efficient enforcement of designated spaces, such as disabled and electric vehicle recharging (e-charging) bays or zones.
After a year of combined development and proof of concepts with two leading telecom providers (T-Systems and Vodafone), Nedap is ready for the next step in smart parking. In cooperation with its telecom partners and the company’s existing world-wide partner network, the SENSIT NB-IoT sensor has been introduced to the market. The new sensors have already been deployed in pilot projects in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, and will soon be applied in Czech Republic, Poland and Croatia. The new NB-IoT SENSIT sensors are expected to be available world-wide next year.
The SENSIT IR Flush Mount NB-IoT sensor detects in real time if a parking bay is occupied using both infrared and electromagnetic technologies. The unit is designed to operate in parking projects in smart cities and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) environments, where real-time information on the usage of parking spaces can be used to reduce search traffic, optimize parking use, lower emissions, and improve revenues.
With an expected battery lifetime of up to 10 years, depending on the application type, the in-ground SENSIT sensors allow easy integration with third party applications. The sensor’s key features include:
• Dual detection technology (infrared and magnetic);
• Flush mount installation (snowplow resistant);
• Real-time communication via NB-IoT telecom network;
• Advanced monitoring with SENSIT Interface Software;
• Easy data integration (API) with third party applications.
