The motorist's dream? Knowing in real time where there is a vacancy
Sensors and artificial intelligence made it possible. The solution was found by a start-up company from Turin, CityZ
by Davide Madeddu
Key points
Every motorist's dream. To know in advance where there is a free parking space. Apparently someone has thought of answering this need with sensors and artificial intelligence to map parking spaces and know in real time whether the stall is free or occupied. This is what CityZ, a Turin-based start-up that combines proprietary IoT sensors and artificial intelligence, has set up.
How it works
The company installs an intelligent sensor under each parking space that can detect, second by second, whether that space is free or occupied. A software platform works on the collected data and reads the flows, predicts availability and automatically detects abnormal occupancies, such as an electric charging bay used by a petrol car or an airport kiss&go area occupied beyond the permitted time.
"The information then reaches those who can use it," the company emphasises, "the citizen looking for a place, the municipality that governs traffic, the airport that manages the flow of travellers, the charging station that knows how many vehicles it is serving. Fewer cars idling means less traffic, fewer emissions, more liveable cities for those who live in them every day'.
Setting speed
One of the most innovative elements of the project is the speed of installation: 'CityZ sensors are installed in less than two minutes per stall, without invasive works and without interrupting the operation of the car park, thanks to a technology designed to simplify the adoption of smart solutions even in indoor environments. System experiencing significant growth. "In recent years we have built a team of people who truly believe in what they do, and for me this is the greatest achievement,' emphasises Fernando Falcone, CTO and Co-founder of CityZ. 'We do one of the most beautiful jobs that exists: bringing real technology into cities, where people live, move, and work. Cities will not stop growing: they will become more complex, more crowded, and they will need new infrastructure to remain good places to live. CityZ is the piece we are building, one sensor at a time. It is not just a company: it is the way we have chosen to be in our time'.
European Project
The company, as the representatives point out, 'cooperates with large companies, energy operators, airport operators and urban mobility realities. The next step is Europe: the same problems, waiting for the same answer'. This growth policy also includes the intervention at the Louis Einaudi Campus in Turin.
